Happy Accidents 2 - An Amourshipping Sequel
by MetekinGiant
Summary: Ash and Serena are back in this Amourshipping sequel! (Shauna is too, but not like last time...) Taking place after Happy Accidents 1, Shauna tries to restore herself after suffering heartbreak from Ash. But she soon discovers some very interesting news: Serena is Kalos Queen! With Ash being Kalos Champion, the couple have been dubbed Kalos Royalty! Reviews Appreciated! Enjoy ;)
1. Chapter 1

**In Shauna's POV **

My tongue wrapped itself delicately around Ash's, caressing it longingly. But even as I kissed him, I could tell his mind was made up. I felt like I was stealing someone else's most prized possession, and I couldn't bear it. I broke the kiss and leaned against his chest, sobbing desperately. If it took crying to change his mind, I was willing to do it.  
"Never let me go, Ash," I whispered between short breaths, "Stay by my side…please…" Ash kissed my forehead gently and pushed me away, filling me with dread. I knew it was over now and there was nothing I could do.

I sniffed and stared at my feet as Ash calmly said, "Shauna, someday you'll find a guy who loves you for everything you are. You don't need to rely on your looks. If you'd shown me _this _you earlier, the _real _you, I might be thinking differently right now, but as it is…"

I nodded, thankful for Ash's kind and caring words, and smiled. I drew a deep breath and took a step back. "I understand, Ash."  
Suddenly, Ash and the others began to disappear, one by one. I barely remembered this happening the last time, and I tried to preserve the moment. I ran and held onto Ash, hugging him with a salty glint in my eye. "Not yet, not yet…" I muttered to myself over and over. Ash tilted my head to meet his eyes and whispered tenderly, "I love you, Shauna." I cried uncontrollably, dropping to my knees in emotional exhaustion as Ash eventually dissipated into the wind, along with everyone else.

"Shauna! Shauna!"

My eyes cracked open to see my mother shaking me awake. I pushed her off angrily, upset that she'd ruined the beautiful remnants of that day, four months ago.

"What, Mum?" I yelled aggressively. Mum backed off a little bit before reapproaching me carefully. "I…I heard you crying and I thought you might have a fever. So I came to check up on you, but you looked okay. All you were doing was crying and whispering the name _Ash_." I blushed slightly when I learned that I'd accidentally talked during my sleep. I just hoped I hadn't said anything…naughty.

"Oh. Um…okay…so, um…" I stuttered, trying to distract my mum by running a hand through my hair.

Mum smiled at me and asked, "Hey, I know you probably don't want me intruding on your…_personal _life…" She made Bunnelby ears when she said _personal_. I rolled my eyes. "…but I was going to ask; that Ash you kept saying, that wouldn't happen to be Ash _Ketchum_, would it?"

I gasped. _How did she…oh my Arceus. She probably got Aunty Jenny to track him down and investigate him, or something._ I decided to push further, out of curiosity, and nodded. Mum clapped her hands together and grinned.  
"Oh, I knew it! I _knew _you'd been watching Pokémon Showcases again!" she exclaimed. I raised an eyebrow, confused. "What do you mean?" Mum pulled me out of bed excitedly and rushed me downstairs, sitting me down on the couch. She pointed at the TV, which was broadcasting some sort of Pokémon talk show. They were talking about Aria's Braixen evolving into a Delphox during her 6th Gym Battle yesterday.

The topic of Aria made me feel a little bit uncomfortable, because Mum knew that I hadn't really had anything to do with Showcases since…Ash. I'd lost all ambition to finish my quest to become Kalos Queen, just because I didn't want it anymore. All I wanted was Ash, but sadly, he didn't want me. Most of that was my fault, and I realised that quickly, but I never really got over it, or him. From memory, I'd won two official Pokémon Showcases before quitting, but they were still eligible for use until the end of this year. But it was already the last day of October, and with one official Showcase per month and the Grand Showcase on the 23rd of December, my only chance to become Kalos Queen this year would be in November. But I wasn't really worried about that, because I still had no excuse to try again.

My mother's eager voice broke me out of my trance when she cried, "Oh! This is it, Shauna! Look!" I looked over at the TV to see a live advertisement for the last Showcase for this year, broadcasting from outside the Lumiose Tower. _Humph. Of course this is what Mum wanted to show me. Won't she ever stop? _I asked myself. I saved myself the pity and forced myself to watch the entire ad.

It was basic stuff, just dates and times for different towns' Showcases, until a familiar face popped up onto the screen. She was wearing a blue and white sleeveless shirt with frilly white wrist bangles, with a matching blue and white skirt, but that didn't concern me right now.

My jaw dropped as Serena herself spoke, "…and if you're competing in the Lumiose City Pokémon Showcase, you'll be in for a treat!"

Mum muttered, "Hey, isn't that…?"  
"Shhh!" I held an index finger to Mum's face to signal to her that I wasn't interested in what she had to say right now. At first, I was just a bit shocked at Serena's surprise appearance on TV, but suddenly I was much more shocked to see the second familiar face walk on screen. He was wearing an identical outfit to Serena's, matching the colours _perfectly _to correspond with Serena's outfit. But, that also didn't concern me right now.  
"That's right, Serena!" Ash exclaimed. My jaw was now on the floor, I swear. Mum attempted to say something, but I shushed her again. I _had _to hear every word.

"If you're gonna be at the Lumiose City Showcase, you'll be lucky enough to be judged by me and Serena, Kalos _royalty_!"

Serena tutted, "Oh, Ash! You shouldn't be so brash, you know."

Ash chuckled, "Come on, Serena. You know I don't really mean it. It's just for the cameras! That "director" guy over there said that this is how the Kalos Champion should act."

Serena put her hands on her hips and pouted, "So, how is the Kalos Queen supposed to act, Mr Director Man?"

A short, chubby man stumbled in front of the camera next to Ash and Serena and laughed heartily. "Oh, these two! Always so funny. But, anyway, it's true! Two of the judges at Lumiose City's Pokémon Showcase will be the Kalos Champion and Kalos Queen themselves, our favourite couple, _Ash and Serena_!"

The broadcast ended with Ash and Serena with Ash and Serena sharing a cute kiss and a warm embrace, and the director applauding the duo, along with the crowd in the background. The screen faded out, before returning to the Pokémon talk show. I just sat there, unable to comprehend _everything _I'd just learned. I stared into blank space, trying desperately to understand it all. But the only thing I could properly remember, the only thing that kept ringing in my head, was what that director had said.

_"__Our favourite couple…Ash and Serena…Our favourite couple…Ash and Serena…Our favourite…" _

"Shauna? Shauna!" My thoughts disappeared as Mum shook me again.

"What?" I asked, unaware that I'd blanked out again.

Mum scoffed, "You just…conked out again. Did you hear what I said?"  
I blushed, "Uh, sorry, I didn't. What was it that you said?"

"I said that those two, Ash and Serena, they look cute together. Don't you think?"

I stared daggers into my mum. It was as if she'd just betrayed me, cutting me deeply. But I pushed my feelings down and smiled. "Yeah, he…they looked alright together," I managed. Mum nodded and walked over to the kitchen, where she grabbed a loaf of bread and some eggs from the fridge. "Breakfast should be a few minutes, so why don't you go have a shower?" I agreed, happy to have an excuse to leave. I stumbled up to my bedroom, still in mid-thought, picked out an outfit and headed to my bathroom. I stripped off my pyjamas and turned the shower on.

_Okay, _I thought to myself as I tested the water. _Let me see if I can remember it all. One, Ash is Kalos Champion. I could've guessed that by now. He's so confident in himself and his team; it would be strange if he __**wasn't**__ Champion by now._ Happy with the temperature, I hopped into the shower and started scrubbing myself with my bar of soap.

_Two, Serena is Kalos Queen. _I stopped washing myself for a second and thought about that for a second. **_Serena_**_ is Kalos __**Queen**__. _I began to remember how Serena became Kalos Queen in the first place. Aria had decided that she and Braixen wanted to move on from performing, so she forfeited her title of Kalos Queen and began a journey through Kalos for Gym Badges.

_I guess that means, one day, Ash and Aria will battle. I'd love to see that! _I smiled to myself. I started cleaning myself again, slowly moving from the neck down.

_Three, Ash and Serena are dating! I couldn't tell when I left for home four months ago whether they were dating or not, but every vein in my body was hoping that they weren't. I mean, whose life did she save in order to deserve Ash? Honestly! I just…_

A large clatter brought me back to reality. I looked around and saw that I'd squeezed the bar of soap so hard, I'd split it in half. It must've hit my shampoo bottles and knocked them over. I took a deep breath and calmed down.

_Okay, _I pondered. _Anything else I've forgotten? _I recalled the ad and rewound through it mentally. The only thing that came to mind was Ash and Serena's matching outfits. _Ash __**did **__look rather confident in that outfit…_ I noted subconsciously. I shivered as I remembered how tight his outfit was, perfectly sculpting around his abs, his muscles, his…well, his _other _areas of interest. _I guess Serena finally taught him how to dress properly…_I giggled to myself.

I turned the shower off and put the half a bar of soap I was holding onto the shower rack. I grabbed two towels and wrapped the around myself; one around my chest and one bundling my hair, the way Mum had shown me all those years ago.

Barely dressed, I wandered downstairs and spotted a plate of bacon, eggs and dry toast on the kitchen table. I sneakily grabbed a few rashers of bacon before Mum caught me.

"Shauna! Go put some clothes on! What if one of those boy friends of yours had come over?" Mum exclaimed.

I blushed madly, "Mum, you know Tierno and Trevor are _just _my friends. Please don't call them my _boyfriends_!"

Mum groaned, "I didn't say _boyfriends_, I said…you know what? Never mind. Just go get dressed, hun. Breakfast isn't going anywhere." I rolled my eyes and went back upstairs, chewing on a piece of bacon as I did so.

I came back downstairs, fully dressed this time…or, at least, _mostly _dressed. I was wearing my favourite short-cut jeans and pink top with brown checks. I had two pink ribbons in my hair again and I'd lightly applied a little make-up. _Why not?_ I had asked myself.

I sat down next to Mum as she sighed tiredly. "You okay, Mum?" I asked. She nodded, "Yes, I just…I wish you'd wear something a little more…_conservative_." I gasped, annoyed that Mum still didn't understand modern dress code.

"Mum," I began, for the hundredth time, "This outfit was designed by Aria _herself_. It's chic."

"Hasn't that Aria girl had sex, like, 20 times?"

"_Mum! _She's, like, 16! And besides…it's not like showing a little skin ever hurt anybody," I casually remarked.

Mum laughed, "Well, I just don't want to see you getting hurt. Everywhere you go, I see all the boys just _drooling _over you."

I picked a piece of toast and said, "Yeah, not _every _boy, Mum…"

"What was that?" she asked. I stopped buttering my toast and paused.

"Uh, nothing! Just talking to myself…" I tried. Mum gave me a look, the sort of look that says, _I-know-what-you-said-but-I-won't-ask-about-it-because-I-can-tell-you-don't-want-to-tell-me-but-I'm-here-for-you-if-you-ever-do-want-to-tell-me_.

I nodded appreciatively and went back to buttering my toast. Today had been a big day, and it was only nine in the morning, but if there was one thing I knew, it was this; I was hungry. I bit into my toast and wondered about how I wanted to look when I went to see Ash in Lumiose City.


	2. Chapter 2

**In Ash's POV**

I bolted past the Lumiose Tower, desperately looking for a certain cafe nearby. I spotted Café Soleli to my right and hid inside it, not daring to peek outside the window from behind a menu I'd picked up.

As the roaring crowd ran past the window, a girl of my age sat down opposite to me. Her honey blonde hair ran delicately past her shoulders, resting just above her bust. She truly did look stunning when she wore her classic red skirt and black sleeveless, but our current situation didn't allow her that luxury, so she wore a long black skirt with blue stripes running up the sides, and a white top with similar patterns and colours.

With an arrogant smirk she asked, "Get spotted again, did we?" I sighed, gathering my breath so I could answer her. I took my tinted sunglasses off and nodded, shrugging.  
"At first it was fun, but now it's starting to annoy me. Well, except for the _girls_…" I commented. Serena punched my arm and said, "I'm right here, you know."

I laughed, "I know, Serena. I was just kidding." I took her hand and held it, allowing her warmth and love to soothe me. _I'm so lucky, _I thought to myself. Serena began to blush as I smiled at her. After Serena becoming Kalos Queen and I beating Diantha, the former Kalos Champion, we hadn't had a spare moment just to enjoy each other's company, especially since we announced that we were officially a couple. I savoured every second I was allowed to look into Serena's eyes, as I remembered all the amazing times we'd had together and looked forward to the amazing future we would have together.  
"You know, we still have a day or two before we need to actually _be _here, Ash," Serena noted. "We could go revisit Courmarine City if you wanted…"  
I smiled. I knew why Serena wanted to visit Courmarine City again, and it amused me that Serena still remembered small details like that. We'd had hundreds of dates by now, most of which were set up by our managers, who _insisted _we had date nights ever so often, for the paparazzi. I didn't mind it, but Serena could never be her real self with a camera shoved in her face, and neither could I.

But, even so, she still remembered our first date. Just another thing about her I loved.

"Or," I began. "We could go back to that Pokémon Centre on Route 12?" Serena snorted in laughter. "What, so you can try and molest me in my sleep again? Ha!" I blushed, shaking my head. "You weren't sleeping, Serena. It doesn't count."

Serena giggled and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a passing waitress. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I happened to overhear you say each other's names. You wouldn't happen to be _that _Ash and Serena, would you?" the waitress asked, pointing outside the window to an electronic billboard that was advertising our appearance in the Lumiose City Pokémon Showcase.

Serena looked at me, then nodded to the café's exit. I nodded for her to go as I replied politely, "Uh…yeah. That's us, ma'am." The waitress squealed in delight, dropping the tray she was carrying and pulling out a pad and a pen.

"Oh my gosh! I _knew _it! C-could you please give me your autograph, Ash? _Please_? I am such a huge fan of yours, and Serena's, too!" I chuckled, took the pen and pad and began to sign the paper. "Who am I making this out to?" I asked without looking up. "G-Grace, sir."

I smiled and finished the message with, "_To my biggest fan, Grace." _I gave it back to her, hoping she hadn't attracted any attention. She squealed again and held the page close to her chest, hugging it tightly. "Thank you _so _much, Ash! You're such an amazing person," Grace praised. I blushed gently, taking my sunglasses and getting up. "That's okay, Grace. I appreciate all of my fans, and I know Serena does, too." Grace squealed for a third time and muttered to herself, "He knows my name, he knows my name…" I took the opportunity to leave, but I was turned around by Grace. She flung her arms around me and locked lips with me, trying to push her tongue into my mouth. I struggled out of her embrace and broke a kiss I never asked for. Grace swooned and fell to the floor, exclaiming, "I just kissed Ash Ketchum…" A group of bystanders who had been watching looked down at Grace and whispered, "Did she just say _Ash Ketchum_?" They then looked up at me, and I gulped.

_I'm dead. _I shook my head at the table of girls, but I couldn't stop them from screaming, "Ah! It's Ash Ketchum!" I turned for the exit and ran as fast as I could, but these jeans my wardrobe department chose for me today were designed for making me look good, not for high-speed movement.

I ran back towards Lumiose Tower, being followed closely by a now enormous mob of both men and women. I ran down a hidden alley and turned a corner, but was snatched by a tight grasp before I could keep running. I huffed loudly as Serena held her finger to her lips. I took the message and calmed myself down, slowing my breathing. Serena looked around the corner and spotted the mob running the opposite way, continuing towards Lumiose Tower. I breathed a sigh of relief, "Looks like we're alright now, Sere…mmmph!" I was interrupted by Serena throwing herself at me, kissing me passionately. I allowed her to move away anytime she liked, as I certainly wasn't going to stop her. Serena eventually moved back and held her hand behind her back, just the way she knew I loved. I licked my lips, tasting Serena's lip gloss. "Strawberry?" I asked cheekily. Serena blushed. I took her hand and whispered, "Let's go to Courmarine City, Serena." Serena gasped and smiled in glee. I felt a tingle run down my spine. I loved making her happy, and I enjoyed it when she did the same for me.

I withdrew a Pokéball from my Bag and threw it into the air. Talonflame appeared in front of us, crying its name. I smiled proudly, allowing Talonflame to enjoy the sunlight for a moment before asking, "Talonflame, could you fly us to Courmarine City, please?" Talonflame nodded, screeching eagerly at the chance to spread its wings and exercise again. I leapt onto Talonflame's back and held my hand out to help Serena up, but she just stood there and sighed. "What's wrong?" I asked. Serena shook her head, "Nothing! It's just…this is a little bit of a fantasy of mine and you've brought it to life. I…I-I think I need a moment to, uh…yeah…"

I rolled my eyes and held my hand out again. This time, Serena took it and hopped onto Talonflame, hugging me as tightly as that waitress held my signature. She rested her head on my shoulder contently, and as soon as I was finished staring dreamily at my future wife, I commanded Talonflame to fly. He flew straight up into an open plain of clouds, where he spotted Courmarine City. I rubbed his beak happily, and leaned forward. Talonflame understood and sped with insane speed towards my destination. I was going to enjoy the next couple of days with Serena. I checked to see if Serena was looking, before stopping Talonflame. "Tal?" Talonflame questioned. I bent down to whisper into Talonflame's ear, "We'll go with Fire Formation 6, Talonflame." Talonflame nodded and skyrocketed into the air, twisting and turning, forming a shape with the clouds that surrounded us. When Talonflame finished, I pointed to a section of space that we could see the shape well in. Once Talonflame flew to the spot I'd directed it to and turned to face his creation, I gently shook Serena. "Psst, Serena." Serena opened her eyes carefully. "Yeah?" she asked.  
"Look," I said, pointing at the cloud Talonflame and I had formed. It was a big, fluffy heart with our names inside it. Serena gasped, "Wow…" I grinned, patting Talonflame proudly, happy with his work. I leaned down to Talonflame's ear again and whispered, "You know what to do, buddy." Talonflame screeched as he used Attract, sending hundreds of small love hearts towards the big one we'd made. They eventually settled around the heart cloud, glistening in the sunlight.

Serena exclaimed, "Ash, this is amazing!"

I smiled, "It's not over yet." I clicked my fingers and Talonflame sent a massive Flamethrower at the cloud. The Flamethrower attack made contact with the cloud and the Attract attack, bursting the love hearts and evaporating the cloud. Serena looked confused, but my knowledge of clouds proved fruitful when the evaporated cloud actually turned out to be a wisp of smoke, forming the exact same shape as the cloud did, and the Attract love hearts formed falling sparkles when they burst, surrounding the smoky message of love.  
The illusion eventually formed a message made of smoke and enveloped with sparkles not unlike glitter.  
"Ash, that's incredible!" Serena praised, "But, won't it just blow away?" I nodded and withdrew another Pokéball, Hawlucha's. I threw it and Hawlucha emerged, crying its name as well.  
"Hawlucha, use Protect on the smoke!" I commanded. Hawlucha nodded and sent a sphere of blue aura towards my message, surrounding it completely.  
I turned back to Serena and said, "Problem solved! It's there forever now, Serena."

"Really?" Serena asked.  
"Well, only until someone attacks it, but why would they attack a cloud?" I responded truthfully.  
Serena face-palmed. "Um…maybe if someone was trying to make a love heart cloud for their girlfriend?" I stared blankly, having been oblivious to this possibility.

I attempted to apologise, but Serena just kissed me again. "Don't worry, I love it…you. I love you, Ash." I smiled and returned the kiss adoringly. "I love you too, Serena. Let's go to Courmarine City." Serena rested her chin on my shoulder and watched the sunset with me as Talonflame flew to Courmarine City. I sighed and took a deep breath. Everything was _perfect_.


	3. Chapter 3

**In Shauna's POV**

Everything was _terrible_. I'd tripped over and fallen in mud as soon as I walked outside, so I had to go back inside and change into another pair of short-cut jeans and another pink top. But as I was walking upstairs, I stubbed my toe on the last step, so now it was too swollen to fit into my favourite pair of heels. I decided to just wear a pair of sneakers, but I didn't feel the same.

_Ash is going to think I'm a total slob in these sneakers…_ I told myself. After taking one final glance at my bedroom mirror, I gave up and shrugged.

"It'll have to do," I said to myself as I trudged back downstairs. I checked my Bag for two Pokéballs, Bulbasaur's and Eevee's. Mum had given me an Eevee as an attempt to cheer me up after I came home a few months ago. She thought I seemed depressed, which I was, and caught it for me.

I grabbed a glass and filled it with water, drinking it furiously. I couldn't wait to get going. As I approached the door again, I bumped into Mum.  
"Where are _you _going, Miss?" she asked, with a hint of sarcasm. I groaned, knowing that she was just trying to annoy me. "I'm going to Lumiose City, Mum. You know that." I attempted to push past her, but Mum stepped back in front of me.  
"Ah, now hang on. You haven't told me _why _you've decided to go, young lady. Are you…" Mum paused for a second, as if she was wondering how to finish her question.

"Am I _what_?" I asked, with a hint of annoyance. I clicked my fingers impatiently, trying my best to hurry this along. I was losing precious time with Ashy!

Mum began to whisper delicately, as if treading on proverbial eggshells, "Are you, maybe…_competing_?"

"Jeez, Mum!" I shrieked as I stormed out of the house. I trudged down Route 22, angrily muttering to myself.

_Why does she insist on meddling in my life? _I asked myself. I needed to calm down, or my face would burst out in wrinkles. I rummaged a hand through my Bag and found a white Pokéball with red lining, my Eevee's. I gracefully launched it into the air, revealing my beautiful Eevee.  
I held my arms out lovingly, catching Eevee mid-air. I hugged her, smiling and rubbing my face in her fluffy fur surrounding her neck.

"Eevee, sweetie! How are you?" I asked, caressing her in my arms like a little baby. Eevee cooed adorably, beaming at me with the brightest smile I'd ever seen. _Well, after Ash's of course… _I noted. I let Eevee climb up onto my head and started walking to Santalune City.  
"Eev eev-ee?" **Where are we going?** Eevee inquired.

"We're going to Lumiose City, sweetie."

"Eevee?" **Why?**  
"To…to see a friend. He's going to be at Lumiose City tomorrow, and I'd like to surprise him."

"Vee ev?" **Who?**

I blushed. Maybe I had said too much. "Um…just a friend. I'll introduce you when we get there."

"Eevee, ev vee ee-vee?" **Well, what is he like? **

I sighed, not knowing where to begin. "He's tall, really funny and so, so, so, _so _cute. He's really friendly and loves his Pokémon. Ashy treats his Pokémon like lifelong friends, and they treat him they same way. It's probably the thing I love…" I stopped myself mid-sentence, suddenly realising what I had almost said. I looked up cautiously at Eevee, who had her eyes closed, probably trying to imagine Ash.

"Vee eev-ee ev _vevee_…" **I didn't know you knew anyone named ****_Ashy_****… **A wide smile spread on Eevee's face as she admired my deep blush.

I chuckled nervously, pretending not to notice Eevee's expression. Instead, I responded, "Did you want to stop in Santalune City, Eevee?" Eevee nodded, keeping her smug look firmly on her face.

I looked forward, happy that Eevee had dropped the conversation. I walked onwards, spotting a giant stone Roselia in the distance. I grinned, realising that I was getting closer and closer to Ash...and Lumiose City.

I had dreamed about him again. It was the same dream as the night before, the one how Ash was admitting his love for Serena over me, but this time I changed it. I somehow manipulated the dream to make Ash ravish me on the spot as Serena and the others disappeared. But, like last time, Ash also disappeared in the end, just before I got his boxers all the way off. I got a quick chance to drool over his bare chest and his fabulous muscles as he ran a hand down my body, making a shiver follow suit. I remember purring in delight before planting another kiss on him. He was so compassionate, and I loved that, but his _body_…damn. I swooned as Eevee jumped off my shoulder, unbeknownst to me. Suddenly, a bright light shone from in front of me, temporarily blinding me. I squinted and looked down to see Eevee enveloped in a blue orb of energy.

"No…" I stuttered. "No…no, no, Eevee, sweetie. Don't do that. Stop!"

Pink ribbons began to emerge from the orb, patterned with hearts all over. I ran to the blue orb and cried, "Don't evolve, Eevee! Please!" The ribbons stopped growing and sucked back into the orb, which was starting to get darker. After a while, the orb dissipated and Eevee returned, crying her name enthusiastically. I burst into tears and hugged Eevee, thankful that I stopped the evolution.

"Oh, Ash! Don't ever leave me, sweetie!" I sobbed happily.

Eevee raised an eyebrow, "Ev vee vee eev-_ee_?" **Did you just call me ****_Ash_****? **

I gasped in embarrassment. My blushed returned quicker than ever and I did my best to look away, but Eevee's cuteness was too much to hide from.

All I could do was shrug and mutter, "Whoops?"

I thanked the hotel manager for the room key and entered the elevator. I pressed the button with a three on it and waited. The doors closed and the cheesy music started. I groaned and stuffed my fingers into my ears. I _hated _elevator music.

I arrived at Floor 3 and looked around for Room 42. As I walked up and down the corridors, counting the door numbers, I remembered the pink ribbons from Eevee's near-missed evolution.

_Pink ribbons, love hearts…She was evolving into a Sylveon! _I noted. I watched Eevee trot joyfully in front of me. I didn't want her to change. Never. Eevee was mine, and _she _would never leave me… _Wait, what? _I heard my inner voice ask. I stopped for a second and thought about it. _Why __**do **__I care so much if Eevee evolves? It is natural, seeing as though Eevee is the Evolution Pokémon. Maybe it has something to do with…_ I was interrupted by Eevee calling for me. It had stopped in front of a door labelled, "Room 42".

I picked Eevee up and smiled as I inserted the room key. I opened the door and gasped. It was a massive room with a balcony, a king-size bed with pearl white sheets, a huge flat-screen television, a decent kitchen and a private bathroom with a bath, shower and spa. I marvelled at the size of the room, letting Eevee go off and explore it. I sat down on the bed and noticed a folded note on the bedside table. I grabbed it and began to read the neat cursive inside.

_I hope you enjoy your stay in our Master Suite, Shauna! xoxoxo_

_\- Daniel_

I giggled and rolled my eyes as I chucked the note in the bin. I couldn't believe that manager got up here before I did. _Just another hopeless boy…_ I laughed to myself. I laid back and turned on the TV, flicking through all the boring news channels. I stopped on _ShowcaseTV_, because they were making an update on their Lumiose City Pokémon Showcase story. A cute, perky lady with pink hair appeared with a microphone in front of a roaring crowd with different signs assorted throughout.

"Stacy here from _ShowcaseTV_, checking the scenes at the Lumiose City Showcase Stadium," Stacy announced. "Kalos royals Ash and Serena, the Kalos Champion and Kalos Queen respectively, will be here in _two days_, and already it is _hectic _here!"

The crowd screamed louder than ever after hearing their idols' names. Stacy grinned and walked over to some of the crowd members to interview them. She stopped in front of a girl with blue hair and a white beanie. Her black sleeveless vest and white tee contrasted with her short, pink skirt well. Stacy held the microphone to this girl and yelled, "What's your name, cutie?"

The girl yelled back, "Dawn!"

I raised an eyebrow, thinking that I should've known that name from somewhere.

"So why have _you _come to the Lumiose City Pokémon Showcase, Dawn?" Stacy asked.

Dawn responded, "I'm competing, but I'm also looking for an old friend I used to travel with!"

Something was itching in my brain, as if I knew who this person was.

"And who would that be?" Stacy wondered.

"Just…a friend!" Dawn smiled.

"Right! Well, I wish you…Oh, wait a second! I'm getting a live update on Ash and Serena's location!" Stacy announced. The crowd went deadly silent as Stacy acknowledged the information that was coming through her earpiece.

"Yep. Uh huh. Okay. Okay, cool. Alright, guys! It turns out Ash and Serena have been spotted in Courmarine City, for reasons unknown! Their managers are apparently unaware to this location change, so this must've been a secret between the two!"  
The crowd _awwed_ in approval, until one girl yelled out, "Are they still coming?" That one sentence sent the crowd into disarray as many of them wondered if Ash and Serena had cancelled. I was now sitting on the edge of the bed as close to the TV as I could possibly be. They couldn't have cancelled…could they?

Luckily, Stacy began to wave the crowd down as two stage managers wheeled a large TV on set. Stacy cried, "Everybody, settle _down_! We have Ash and Serena live on video chat via Courmarine City _right now_!" The TV screen flicked on and, sure enough, Serena and Ash came onscreen, smiling and waving. The crowd went into a temporary state of pandemonium, pushing and shoving as they rushed to get a view of the screen.  
Stacy made her way to the front and asked, "So, where are you guys? All these fans are expecting you!"  
Serena grinned and said, "Well, we just told our managers that we've decided to take a day or two off. You know, personal days." She looked at Ash and winked. He rolled his eyes and smiled, "So we decided to check out Courmarine City again! It _is _one of our favourite places to chill."

"Awesome!" Stacy exclaimed, smiling to the cameras. "But here's the question; are you still coming to Lumiose City in two days?" The crowd went quiet again, anticipating the couple's answer.

Ash and Serena looked at each other, then back to the camera and said in unison, "Of course!"

The crowd screamed in delight after the confirmation of their arrival. I clapped my hands together and took a deep breath. _Oh, thank __**Arceus**__. I nearly thought he wouldn't come…_

"So…" Stacy began, hinting a cheeky smile, "How'd you two lovebirds get to Courmarine City without anyone noticing?"

Ash opened his mouth to answer, but Serena pressed her finger to his lips, cutting him off. Serena then turned to the camera and winked, "That's for us to know and for you to find out!"

Stacy laughed, "Damn! Thought I'd catch you two there…oh well! So, we'll see you in Lumiose City?"  
"Definitely!" Ash and Serena responded in unison. They ended the video chat with a live kiss, before turning the camera off.

"Well, you heard it live, peeps! Ash and Serena _will _be here in two days for the Lumiose City Pokémon Showcase! This is Stacy reporting from _ShowcaseTV_, telling you to keep calm and _enjoy_!"

The broadcast ended with shots of the ecstatic crowd. I turned the TV off and sat there, absorbing all the information. Eevee returned and curled up in my lap, snuggling herself into a comfortable sleeping position. I smiled and did the same. Too much to think about exhausted me, and a nap sound great. I closed my eyes and let myself drift into sleep, hoping I'd see Ash in my dreams again.


	4. Chapter 4

**In Ash's POV **

I opened my eyes, gently peeking over at the delicate beauty lying next to me. Serena was still asleep, mumbling quietly to herself. I smiled as I watched her. She looked so peaceful, so calm, so…well, _serene_. As I admired her, I noticed her hand was lying open on the pillow, just beckoning for me to take it. I slowly moved my hand up onto the pillow, not wanting to wake Serena up. As my hand got closer to hers, I found myself breathing harder than usual. My heart was racing and my brow was beginning to sweat.

_Am I nervous? _I asked myself. I smiled at the fact that I still got nervous when I was near Serena. She definitely fit the bill of _breathtaking_. I eventually gathered enough courage to take Serena's hand, allowing her warmth to envelop me again. I took a deep breath and continued to admire a snoozing Serena. I closed my eyes, content on falling asleep next to the girl of my dreams.

"Not trying to molest me again, are you?"

My eyes shot open as Serena sat next to me, laughing. I nearly jumped out of bed in shock, but I managed to regain my composure without making a fool of myself in front of Serena. I sat up, asking, "How long have you been awake?"

Serena sat up next to me, "Only a few minutes. I noticed you stirring, so I pretended to be asleep."  
I thought for a moment. _This all seems familiar…_ I noted, sensing a wave of déjà vu approaching. I shrugged, not bothering to think too long about it.

"Hungry?" she whispered. A massive grin was sprawled over my face. My bad habits must've been washing off on her.

"How can you _already _be thinking about food?" I asked, rubbing my thumb over Serena's hand, appreciating its smooth texture. I smelled it and sighed, overtaken by her scent. I closed my eyes and allowed the smell of fresh strawberries to surround me.

"Maybe I wasn't talking about _food_…" Serena moaned seductively. My eyes immediately shot open. I looked at Serena, who was biting her lip and rubbing my leg with her free hand. She looked up at me and pouted, fluttering her eyes deliberately. I gulped, feeling goosebumps arising where Serena was touching. She began to move her hand further and further up my leg, sending chills down my spine.  
"Uh, Serena? Um…maybe we could, you know…"  
"Could what?"  
"Um...go get breakfast?" I tried. Serena laughed, embracing me and whispering into my ear, "Just kidding, Ashy. I mean, what would your mother think?" I groaned and threw my sheets off, headed for the shower. "It was just a joke!" Serena yelled.

I came out of the shower with a white towel wrapped around my waist, looking for a robe. I spotted Serena sitting on the bed, watching TV.

She looked me over and nodded appreciatively. "Mmm, thanks for that…" she teased.

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever." I looked around the room, not spotting the usual rack of clothes from Wardrobe. "Have you seen our clothes?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just got a call from Jessica. She said they'll be up in ten, and we've got another one of those _live interview _thingies today before lunch, so…" Serena answered.

I nodded, taking a seat next to Serena. She was watching a replay from yesterday's _ShowcaseTV _interview. I grinned as I saw myself kissing Serena on TV, finding it weird that I could see myself kiss my dream girl over and over.

"Hey, Ash?" Serena muttered, leaning her head on mine.

"Yeah?" I responded.

"Are you…happy?"

I looked down, deep into Serena's shining blue eyes. Her pupils were dilated and she was starting to tear up. I took a moment to lose myself in those delicate eyes; a moment I would treasure forever. She looked so gentle, so…vulnerable.

"What do you mean, Serena?" I pondered, treading carefully. I could tell this was a fragile situation.

"I mean, are you happy…with _me_?" Serena asked.

I sat there, blankly staring at Serena, unable to conceive anything to say that would be good enough. All I could do was place my hands on her cheeks and plant a soft, sweet kiss on her lips. Just a gentle, pure kiss that probably only went for a few seconds, but felt like years. Hundreds of wonderful years to cherish, just with her.

I broke the kiss slowly, leaving a blushing Serena to sit and think about what I'd done.

"Serena," I began. I took her hand for added effect, "There is no one I'd rather be waking up next to every day than you. Every morning, I wake up and glance over my shoulder, checking for your breath."

Serena raised an eyebrow curiously, "Why?"

I wiped a tear from Serena's eye and said, "Because if you weren't breathing, there'd be no reason for me to get out of bed. If you were gone, there'd be no reason for me to stay. My friends, my Pokémon, I love them like family. But you…"

I could feel Serena quivering as she pushed, "Yes?"

I took a deep breath and finished, "I…I love you more. And I could not _possibly _be any happier. All I hope every day is that _you _stay happy, so I don't have to ever lose you."

Serena burst into tears, flinging her arms around me. I embraced her, not giving a care to anything else in the world at that moment. All I cared about was Serena. She was what was most important, and I wasn't going to give her up for anything.

A loud _knock _interrupted our blissful moment.

Serena sniffled, "That'll be Jessica." I nodded and opened the door, spotting a brunette wearing a fedora and strangely tight clothing on the other side. She held in one hand a clipboard and in the other, a clothes' rack on wheels that held several different outfits.

Jessica gasped when she saw me and blushed, falsely covering her eyes with her hand. I gave her a confused look, but all she did was point down. I looked down and noticed I was wearing nothing but a bath towel.

I shrugged, "What about it? Serena thinks I've got a nice body, don't _you_?"

Serena lightly punched my arm, frowning. "You shouldn't be so arrogant, Ash. Don't tease Jessica like that, it's mean!"

"No, no," Jessica insisted, bending to the side to check out my butt. "It's, uh…it's alright. I don't mind…"

"Hey! Jessica, could you stop staring at my boyfriend's butt, please?" Serena exclaimed. As Jessica shook off the sudden shock, I poked Serena teasingly and pouted, "What's wrong, Serena? Not getting _jealous_, are we? It's not a good look on you."

Jessica took the opportunity to disperse the current situation by bringing the rack of clothes into our suite. I sat down next to Serena on the bed, smirking as she jokingly poked her tongue at me.

Jessica picked out individual outfits for both of us and handed them to us. She had given me a red T-shirt with the logo _Champion-Approved _emblazoned boldly on the front and a black leather jacked with the same logo stitched into the pocket. Another pair of tight, black jeans accompanied the ensemble, but this time I was allowed to choose my own shoes; I went with my favourites from my personal line of shoes, the unfortunately named _Can't Ketchums_, basically a red and black sneaker with white lacing and my logo printed on the side. I loved the shoe, hated the name. But, in the end, they were just shoes, so I didn't really care.

Once Jessica had picked out most of Serena's outfit, she told me to go change. I took my outfit to the bathroom and changed into it there. I quickly brushed my teeth and fixed my hair before returning to the bedroom, where I saw a fully-dressed Serena and Jessica holding a black skirt with blue lining.

"What's that for?" I asked.

Jessica turned back to me and gasped, "Damn! I am good…Um, sorry, what was that?" I approached her and sat down next to Serena, pointing to the dress. "What's that for?"

"Well, I got your managers to message you guys about a live interview with _ShowcaseTV_. Did you get that?" Jessica asked. Serena raised her hand, acknowledging the text message on her phone.

"Well, this is the skirt Serena's gonna wear. I was thinking of putting it with…" she paused to dig through the rack of clothes and pulled out a white sleeveless with black lining and frilly ends on her arms. Ribbons of blue, not dissimilar to her eyes, were strayed throughout. I nodded in approval, but something ticked in my mind.

"Hold on, Jessica. If we're just going to be on-screen again, why is it so important that we look so good?" I asked. Serena agreed, probably thinking along the same lines as me.

"Your managers didn't tell you?" Jessica responded. We shook our heads blankly. Jessica sighed, "The interview's happening _here_. _ShowcaseTV _decided that they didn't want to miss you two having a quote unquote _romantic getaway_. It's supposed to be around midday, but I doubt those fans outside will wait until then."

"What fans?" I asked. Serena got up and looked out our bedroom window, gasping.

"Um…Ash? You might want to come here a sec…" Serena muttered. I walked over next to Serena and put my arm around her, gazing out the window. She pointed down to the road below and I saw them. A massive crowd was swarming around the entrance to the hotel, about seven floors down. I could only imagine how many were in the lobby itself.

"Whoa…" I whispered. Serena grabbed my hand and held it to her chest, squeezing it tightly. I could feel her heartbeat, her pulse. It gave me energy, it gave me courage.

I pulled her into a silent embrace and asked Jessica, "All those people are here…for _us_?"

Jessica nodded, putting our two matching outfits on the bed. "I'm gonna leave you two, but you've got to be down at the lobby for breakfast in fifteen. It'll take a while to get through the crowds in the lobby, but Security's trying to keep most of them outside. All you two have to do is smile and wave."

I thanked Jessica and watched her walk out of our room, taking the clothes' rack with her. Serena still hung her arms from my neck, her head buried in my chest.

"Serena…" I whispered.

She looked up and nodded, "I know, we've to get ready. It's just so…surreal, you know?"

"Yeah, I know how you feel. I still can't believe it sometimes."

We stood in silence, staring out the window at the growing masses of people outside the hotel. _All for us…it seems like a bit much for me…_I thought. But as I looked down at Serena again, I whispered to myself, "I just need you…not all these people. Just you."

I stood inside the idle elevator, grasping Serena's hand tightly. We could hear the crowd already and the doors weren't even open yet. As the elevator doors opened, my grip tightened. There were so many people out there; all I wanted to do was go back up to our room.

"Nervous?" Serena whispered with a hint of a smile.

I nodded, "There's more people here than there were at my championship battle."

Serena turned to face me and fixed my hair, pouting cutely as she did so. "_Ash Ketchum, scaredy-cat_. Has a nice ring to it, you know."

I rolled my eyes, "Sounds good. I'll just make sure the media calls me that from now on, yeah?"

"Meh…better not. If you do, they might start calling me _Mrs Serena Scaredy-Cat_, or something…" Serena joked.

"Whoa, who said anything about marriage?" I complained sarcastically. Serena went pale, as if she'd just seen a ghost. A tiny blush was the only colour on her shell-shocked face.

I snickered, "Oh, if you could see your face! Don't worry; I'm just kidding…probably."

Serena grinned and pushed me playfully. Her blush was redder, but she was laughing it off. I put my arm around Serena's waist and walked out of the elevator.

_Mrs Serena Ketchum. Huh, sounds perfect to me… _I pondered.

Jessica stood at the reception desk, waiting for us. She approached us with a smile and praised, "Nice touch with the playful banter. They _loved _that."

I looked over at the glass doors and waved, receiving an uproar of screams and cheers in return.

"Well, that's fun," I jeered. Jessica led us to a small café area in the lobby, where we sat down and ordered breakfast. As we waited, Jessica took us through our planned events of the day, telling us that we had only a few hours after the interview before we had to fly out to Lumiose City again.

"But you can't fly on your Pokémon!" Jessica warned.

I raised an eyebrow, "Why not?" I had been planning on passing by my little cloud on the way back.

"You'll ruin your clothes! I can't have you looking a total mess when you arrive in Lumiose City. If you think that _this _is a big crowd, just wait until we get back."

I nodded in understanding as a waiter came over with several cups and plates.

He sat a plate of pancakes in front me, and one in front of Serena. Both had ice-cream and syrup drizzled all over, but that wasn't the most interesting part of the dish. I pointed at my pancakes and looked at Serena. She nodded and started giggling, finding the irony in my joke.

The waiter frowned, "Is something wrong, Mr Ketchum?"

I shook my head, picking up the Oran Berry that sat on top of the stack of pancakes. "Just a question; where did you pick these Oran Berries?"

The waiter smiled, almost as if in delight that he could use his profound knowledge of every dish in his menu.

He announced, "_Those _particular Oran Berries were picked from a special crop on Route 12 that I personally frequent. They have been cooked to absolute perfection, using only the freshest of juices to prepare it. They are also scattered within the pancakes themselves."

"_Route 12_, you say?" I asked. The waiter nodded enthusiastically.

"Thank you, sir," Serena acknowledged politely. The waiter bowed and left us to enjoy our meals. I waited for him to walk into the kitchen, before excusing myself and following him.

I spotted the waiter praising the cooks, telling them that we loved their dish. I approached the waiter and coughed, just loud enough so he could hear.

"Oh, hello Mr Ketchum!" the waiter smiled. "Was there something wrong?"

I shook my head, "No, not at all! I just wanted to ask you something."

"Of course, of course! What is it you wanted to ask?"

I sighed, glancing over my shoulder just in case Serena had followed me. I didn't spot anyone, so I continued, "My girlfriend, Serena. Her birthday is coming up in a few days, and I've already got her a brilliant gift, but I'd like to bake her a cake she'd remember."

The waiter nodded, "Mr Ketchum, say no more! I'd be glad to bake her a cake worthy of a queen!" I grinned, happy that he understood so quickly.

"Great! So, how much did you want for it?" I asked, pulling out my wallet. The waiter tutted, wagging his finger. He took my wallet and put it back in my pocket, saying, "Oh, no, no, no. No money! We'll do it for free, just for you and your girlfriend, sir."

My jaw dropped. "I…thank you! I don't know how to repay you, uh…" I checked the waiter for a nametag. "I'm sorry; I don't know your name."

"It's Antonio, sir."

"Thank you, Antonio. But, I won't be able to pick it up, because I'm headed for Lumiose City tonight. I might be able to send someone, but…"

Antonio cut me off, "Not to worry! I'll deliver it _myself_!" I couldn't believe this man's generosity. Antonio led me to the centre of the kitchen, surrounding me with chefs.

"Was there anything specific you wanted for this cake?" Antonio asked. I took the Oran Berry from my pocket and held it up, smiling. "Well…"

I sat back down next to Serena, who had eaten half of her pancakes. I took my knife and fork and dug in, as Serena questioned, "Where have _you _been?"

I took an empty fork out of my mouth and answered, "Just asking that waiter more about these Oran Berries." It wasn't a lie; I had asked Antonio more about them.

Serena giggled, "You really like these Berries, don't you?"

I shrugged, "For good reason, though, right?" I winked slyly at Serena, who blushed madly. Jessica looked up from her clipboard, looking amused. "Am I missing something here?" she asked.

Serena shook her head, still blushing. I grinned and went back to my pancakes. _You'll love the surprise, I'm sure of it! _I thought to myself. I watched Serena take a bite out of her Oran Berry, wincing slightly at its bitter aftertaste. I laughed and popped my Oran Berry into my mouth. Sweet, soothing, delicate. The perfect Berry for the perfect girl. _My _perfect girl.


	5. Chapter 5

**In Serena's POV**

I angrily muttered to myself as I adjusted the skirt Jessica had given me for our interview. Ash looked over at me and laughed. He puffed out his chest and held his arm out like a butler, smirking. He added a regal accent and asked, "Is thine skirt not to Madame's liking?"

"Shut up," I groaned. "This stupid thing is too long and thick."

Ash snickered, whispering something silently to himself. "What was that?" I questioned, predicting what Ash had said.  
He shook his head, "Oh, nothing. Just thinking, if you don't like the skirt because it's long and thick…"

I stared at him, with a glare that said _I-can't-believe-you-just-said-that_. I scoffed, getting over Ash's lame joke. "Alright, Superman. Settle down." Ash put his arms around me and kissed my forehead gently, allowing me to calm down.

"Relax," he said. "At least the interview is over now. We can just go back to the hotel, put on some sweatpants and chill for an hour or two."

I smiled, "Well, _you _can. I'll have to do my hair, and shower, like, five times, and…"  
Ash pressed his finger to my lips. I stopped, tasting his syrup-covered lips.  
"Have you not washed your hands since breakfast?" I asked, slightly grossed out by Ash's lack of hygiene.  
"Um…yes?" Ash stuttered. I giggled and took his hand, resting my head against his shoulder for a second. We gazed out at the glistening ocean, listening intently to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Droplets of water sparkled down, resting on my skin gently. I leaned my head onto Ash's chest and admired the scenery, noticing Ash's heartbeat quicken as I did so. I still couldn't believe it at the best of times. My childhood crush and totally unrealistic dream had both come true within a matter of moments, it seemed. I took a minute to make sure I wasn't dreaming again. Just in case, I pinched my arm without letting Ash see.  
_Ow…two, three, four…nope, this is real. _I smiled and closed my eyes. Serena Ketchum, Kalos Queen and wife of Kalos Champion Ash Ketchum. It really _did _seem like a dream.

"We should get back to the hotel…" Ash groaned with a wistful tone. Neither of us moved. Ash groaned again, this time with more of an insistent tone. I sighed, took one last glance at the sea, and got up. I swung my hips to the right and held my hands behind my back, just like I knew Ash liked. Immediately, his face lit up and he jumped to my side like an excited Lillipup. As we walked back to the hotel, hand in hand, I thought more about Ash and I.

It amused me that I could grasp Ash's attention so quickly, just by pushing my bust out a little further than necessary. Of course, he's the only one I'd do it for. I got so many creepy letters from "fans" of mine after I became Kalos Queen; many of them asked for photos of me, clothing optional. I sent _those _special fans a signed restraining order, of which I had many. But Ash had no idea. I would never let him know. I didn't want him to think of me as a trophy he could just brandish at any public outing whenever he liked. I mean, I knew that Ash wouldn't do that anyway. He always went out of his way to treat me like a…well, like a queen. Sometimes, though…his lack of girlfriend experience would trip him up.

As we arrived at the hotel, the now enormous crowd was still as loud as ever. Security had finally parted a walkway through the middle, but we told them to let the fans through. We spent a solid hour signing autographs and taking pictures. I overheard one particular hormonal fan scream, "I want you to make my babies!" I stifled laughter as I noted the fact that a fifty-something year old woman just conceived her strange fantasy to my fifteen year old boyfriend. We stood at the entrance of the hotel, giving our fans one last quick kiss, before retreating to the lobby, exhausted.  
"What was the name of that woman?" I asked, strolling to the elevator in front of Ash.  
I saw Ash shudder before replying nonchalantly, "Which woman?"

I placed a sly hand on his shoulder and ran my other hand down his chest seductively, instinctively closing the distance between us.  
"You _know_…that woman that wanted you to impregnate her."

"Oh, you mean…" Another shudder from Ash. I did my best to hide my grin. "…Bertha…" Ash finished disgustedly.  
I couldn't hold it anymore. I burst out in a fit of laughter and smirked, "Oh, that is _perfect_! I think I spotted Bertha asking you for your autograph, right?" Ash buried his head in his hands in shame, nodding slowly. I nodded, very much aware of why Ash was so disgruntled.

"Hope you didn't get any ideas when you were signing them. You won't be marking _mine _up with a _Sharpie _any time soon…" I joked. Ash stared at his hands, shaking, as if in shellshock. "She made me touch them…" he moaned.

I led him into the elevator and pressed the number seven. I planted a soft kiss on his cheek, which seemed to break his trance. A slight blush appeared on his face as he chuckled, "Sorry."

He put his arm around me and hugged me tightly. Butterflies fluttered around inside me, still making me as frivolous as the day I saw him in Santalune City. I allowed these butterflies to influence me as I kissed him, gently allowing my tongue to wrap itself around his. Our embrace continued throughout the ride, not that I needed a massive metal box to elate me. Ash could do that all by himself with a cute glance or a quick wink. But I couldn't let him know that. A girl's gotta show some restraint, right?

I heard the elevator _ding_; signalling that we'd arrived at our Floor. I didn't need any help finding our room, because sitting outside our door was a brunette in a fedora with her usual _I'm-looking-to-impress-Ash _outfit; tightness personified. It was kinda funny that she still kept up with our little game.  
About a month or so ago, I caught Jessica swooning over Ash at a live event of ours. I teased her for it, and ever since she's made a major effort to get his attention, in _any _way possible. If that meant wearing a silk buttoned V-neck so tight that her nipples ripped little holes, so be it. If Ash ever noticed Jessica in that way, he did a great job of hiding it.

Jessica got up and shot a pearl-white smile at us. "There you are! When you said you were going for a walk, I didn't expect you to go right down to the beach! I would've coordinated different outfits for the both of you…"  
Ash put a firm hand on her shoulder and grinned, "Don't sweat it, Jess. You've done an awesome job. Now, all we have to do is get to Courmarine Airport by 2pm, right?"  
Jessica paused for a second to stare at Ash's hand on her shoulder. Her blush was more evident now that ever.

"Uh…yeah. Yeah, yeah, 2pm…I think. I-I'll check…" Jessica stuttered as she checked her wristwatch. "Yep. You two have about forty minutes before I want you changed. We'll make our way to the limo at 1pm."  
I piped up at that moment, "Uh, yeah…Jessica. About that…" Jessica gave me a stern look, suggesting that she wasn't very open about changing her set schedule. I shook my head, "No, I don't want to change anything! It's just…" I sighed.  
Ash looked me over and nodded, "Could we get going…a little earlier, maybe?"

Jessica put her hands on her hips emphatically, allowing a small pout to appear on her face.

"And why, might I ask, would you be doing _that_?"

We looked at each other and smiled. They'd be happy to see us, I was sure of it.

"We wanted to visit some friends of ours…preferably in _private_," I piped up, deliberately pushing the word _private_. Jessica ran through her timetable again and sighed.

"I…I'll have to move some stuff, and you won't get to your hotel until late, but apart from that…" Jessica explained, scribbling furiously on her clipboard. I clapped my hands together and smiled, "Great! Thanks, Jess. It really means a lot to us."  
Jessica nodded it off, probably just trying to act cool in front of Ash.

_I'll have to repay her sometime…_ I noted, storing a little reminder into my brain somewhere. Jessica gestured to inside our room, where an assortment of designer clothes were hanging and laying almost everywhere.  
"Everything in here is a choice, a choice you two have to make. But _those _two…" Jessica pointed to the bed, where two outfits were laid out, neatly pressed and stretched. "…those two I chose myself."

She turned to me and spoke, "That skirt I showed you earlier? It works well with the top, and gives you a little room to…you know, _show off _to Ash…and the media, of course. And the adoring fans."

I heard Ash groan when Jessica said _adoring fans_. I smirked and continued listening.

"You'll want to do your hair up with the…" she paused for a second to analyse the hair bands and ribbons she'd assigned to separate outfits. At one point, she held a red ribbon in one hand and a blue scrunchie in the other, failing to find any fatal flaws to choose between the two. Eventually she just shrugged and handed me both.

"Again, your choice. But I think you'll like what I chose. It's…" Jessica stopped, waiting for the right word. "…classic. Yeah, classic." Jessica ended with a giggle and a small wave to Ash, before leaving the room. "Ten minutes if you want to leave early! I'll be down in the lobby!" she shouted from behind the door. I waited for her footsteps before moving.  
I stood above the bed and looked at Jessica's choices for us. It only took me a second, before I gasped.  
"What?" asked a disgruntled Ash, who hadn't wasted any time raiding what was left of the minibar. I pointed at Jessica's outfits as Ash looked over my shoulder. He checked out our clothes and laughed. He placed a gentle kiss on the side of my cheek and hugged me.

"They're good, huh?" Ash said, swaying me slowly.

I smiled, "They're perfect." We stood there, partially in shock, partially in serenity. Laid out in front of us, perfectly ironed, pressed and cleaned, were our first outfits we'd ever competed in together in a Pokémon Showcase. I sighed dreamily as I remembered back to that blissful day…

"Ugh, this hair just won't stay still!" I screamed, adjusting my ponytail for the fifth time. Ash smiled and came over to me, tying a bright red ribbon around my ponytail. I looked at him through the mirror with a faint blush. Ash had never gotten this close to me before. He added a little bow to the ribbon and sat his head on my shoulder, looking at me through the mirror as well as he kept his grin alive. I snapped my gaze away from him, embarrassed that he'd caught me blushing.

"You look awesome, Serena. You'll do great, I'm sure of it," Ash praised. I blushed again, surprised that Ash was still so close to me. I could almost hear his heart beating.

I stood up and looked him over, slightly amused that he thought he'd fully groomed himself. I brushed a few loose strands of hair around his ear and straightened his vest. I lingered as I held my hand against his chest, slyly taking an opportunity to feel his chest. Buff was an understatement when it came to describing Ash; I'd seen him working out with his Pokémon at training, but I'd never seen or felt his chiselled body like this before.

"You, uh, okay down there?" Ash chuckled nervously. I threw my hands behind my back instinctively, my cheeks now radiating with a pink glow.  
"S-sorry, Ash…" I muttered, now finding a sudden keen interest in the floor. I felt my hands being squeezed…by Ash.

My mouth was slightly agape as I watched Ash think of the right words to say. "Serena…" he began. I didn't dare speak, for fear of interrupting Ash. "…I get that this is your fourth Showcase. And, that if you win this one, you'll be able to enter the Master Class next time…" I nodded, appreciative that Ash was so concerned. I was actually impressed that he'd remembered this was the third Showcase win I'd need, what with him preparing for his 8th Gym Battle.

"But you need to calm down. I've seen you like this before, and honestly? It isn't good." I managed a weak laugh, remembering the last time I had a panic attack. Ash was right, it wasn't pretty. I heard Ash taking a step closer to me, still grasping my hands. I worried that my palms were getting too sweaty.

He rested his forehead on mine, closing his eyes. I sneaked a peek at his calm expression. He looked at peace with the world. I wished _I _could make him feel like that, the way he makes _me _feel…  
"Take a deep breath, Serena…it'll help."  
I followed Ash's suggestion, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I held it for a second, allowing all of my pressures and thoughts to filter out of my mind, even if just for a second.

"…and out, Serena."  
I sighed, praying that my breath wasn't bad. I repeated the process with Ash a few times, and I noticed I felt a lot less pressured. It felt like, no matter what happened today, that I'd be okay, as long as Ash was around.

I opened my eyes, just in time to spot Ash looking me over as well. His eyes seemed to be wandering from my hair to my chest and to everything in between. I looked closer and could've sworn I spotted a blush. I stared at his ruby red lips. I was wondering if Ash was doing the same.

Eventually, Ash broke the silence, "We should get going. The other pairs are already at the stage entrance, I think." I nodded in agreement and followed Ash out of our dressing room. He held the door open for me, which I appreciated.

_A man with manners is a man to meet_, my mother had always told me. I blushed as I remembered that little line. I waited for Ash to close the door, before continuing to the stage entrance.

We arrived within moments, thanks to the help of a stage assistant stationed outside our room. I stood in awe, listening to the rumbles of the massive crowd outside the curtain. I felt a hand close around mine, which I responded to instinctively. I squeezed Ash's hand back, allowing any nerves I had to leave my body and mind. Ash would always be there for me, I just knew it.

I turned to him and sighed, "Never give up until the end, right?"

Ash grinned and nodded. We stepped out past the curtain and allowed the light to envelop us.


	6. Chapter 6

**In Shauna's POV**

I stood impatiently in line as a mixture of contestants and observers were queuing up to enter the Lumiose City Pokémon Showcase Stadium. Contestants were separated into a "fast" line, but the forty metres or so behind that line was mayhem. I was pushed and pulled like a rag doll against my will for the majority of my experience, but something interesting _did _happen during all the pandemonium.

I accidentally bumped into a blue-haired girl as I moved to the line labelled _contestants_.  
"Sorry," I mumbled. The girl turned to me and flashed a smile, allowing me enough time to analyse her face. I recognised her immediately.

"Um…excuse me?" I asked, tapping the girl on the shoulder. She turned back to face me, not bothered that I'd interrupted her again.  
"Yeah?" she responded. Her tone was unmistakable.  
"This might sound weird, but is your name Danielle?" I pondered.

She laughed, "No, it's actually Dawn. Dawn Berlitz." I politely shook her hand and gave her a bright smile.  
"I'm Shauna. Are you competing in the Showcase?"  
"Sort of…" Dawn shrugged. I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

She spotted my look and continued, "I'm also kinda…looking for someone."  
_Aren't we all? _I thought wistfully to myself, not thankful for the unpleasant reminder of Ash.

"Oh, yeah? Who is it? Maybe I know them."  
"I doubt it. He doesn't usually hang around in one spot for long anymore. Although, if I know him like I _think_ I do, he's probably eating somewhere right about now…"  
_So, this person's a guy…_I noted. I processed this information, but decided not to press further. I checked Dawn out while I had a moment; she had deep, blue hair that ran down way past her shoulders and had slipped a white beanie on, too. She wore a black vest over a white button tee, and her pink miniskirt fitted in with her attire seamlessly.  
She was average height, possibly ranging on the taller side of the spectrum. Her shape was thin overall, with the only difference being her bust, which was a little…perkier than expected. I assumed she was wearing a push-up bra, but she'd probably never tell.

After registering her full look into my mind, I peeked over her shoulder at the line. It was enormous, and I knew we'd be here for a while.  
"Well, this doesn't look like we're going anywhere fast…" I pointed out aloud to Dawn. She looked ahead and sighed, "Damn. We'll be here _hours_…"  
"I know. We probably should've come earli…"  
"Wait!" Dawn interrupted. I stopped abruptly, not expecting the sudden exclamation.

"What?" I shrugged. Dawn gave me a cheeky grin and jumped out of the queue, gesturing for me to follow.

I frowned, "But we'll lose our spot!" Dawn shrugged and walked towards the entrance of the Stadium. I looked to the front of the line again and decided it wouldn't be much more of a wait if we had to get back in line again, anyway.

I ducked under the red velvet rope and caught up to Dawn, who was strutting along confidently.

"What's the plan?" I asked, curious as to whether or not Dawn actually _had _a plan. She pointed to two beefy guys in matching black uniforms with the label _Security _printed on their pockets. "See those guys?" she responded.

I nodded, actually finding it hard _not _to see them. They were huge!

"Yeah. So?"  
"They're brainless _men_. And we…" She paused to make a graceful motion to the both of us. "…are intelligent, attractive women. We can get past a pair of moronic goofballs like these two, no problem!"

I managed a sarcastic laugh as I spotted out of the corner of my eye another few thousand people lining up for the Showcase.

"So, we're gonna _flirt _our way in? Does that work with _everyone_?" I asked. Dawn's eyes went foggy and her confident smile reduced to a small smirk.

"Not everyone…" she whispered. I thought I noticed a familiar tone in her voice; regret. Or sorrow. Or pain, I don't know. They all sounded the same to me.

Dawn saw my troubled expression and shook it off, "No need to worry! We'll just get past these guys and get some coffee. I _really _need some coffee right now."

I agreed, mostly through instinct. I'd never really felt an obsessive desire for coffee before, but I wouldn't have minded a good cup of steaming-hot caffeine during a chilly day like this.

We arrived just in front of the contestant's entrance, making our way to the guards. Dawn led me to behind a tight corner, where we begun to plan our entrance.

"So, how do you want to do this?" I asked.

Dawn gave me a condescending look, as if I was an innocent little kid trying to fit in with a group of adults.

"This can't seriously be the first time you've flirted with someone?" she replied.

I rolled my eyes, remembering back to a few months ago. I just hoped I hadn't gotten rusty since then.

"Well, no. Obviously, I have before, but…"

"But not with older guys, right?"

I shook my head, "Not really, no."

Dawn put her hand on her hip and stared into blank space, her eyes wandering. "Okay," she said, "You know that feeling you get when a cute guy comes up to you and tries to be all, like, mysterious? And it kinda makes you feel like laughing at him?" I nodded.

"Don't do that. You don't want to come across as that _cutie-pie _that everyone thinks of as their little sister. You want to be desirable. You want to be available, but not available. You want to be flirty, without having to do too much. Know what I mean?" I nodded again, starting to get a decent picture of what Dawn was trying to explain.  
"So, we act like sluts?" I responded.  
Dawn scoffed and shook her head, laughing quietly. "Acting flirty and acting like a slut are two _very _different things. Slut is the completely _opposite _direction we want to go in. Remember, we're competing tomorrow. We need to keep a good image in public."  
I raised an eyebrow. Dawn sounded very professional, as if she'd rehearsed that exact speech before.

"You sound very sure of yourself when you talk about public image. Have you…done this before?" I asked, trying to rack my brains for all the previous Kalos Queens throughout history, just in case I'd accidentally snubbed an ex-Kalos Queen or something.

Dawn smirked, "I wasn't Kalos Queen, if that's what you're asking. I'm a Top Coordinator, in Sinnoh. You probably don't know what a Top Coordinator is, though…"  
I shrugged in response, not knowing what a Top Coordinator was. I only kept tabs on the happenings of Kalos, and I never really had the time to learn about the other regions, and snippets of information about each, but not much after that.

"Alright, I think we should go now," Dawn said, breaking the silence. I followed her from behind the corner and strode next to her as we approached the security guards.

"Do what I tell you, and we should get in easy…" Dawn whispered.

"No pun intended?" I whispered back.

"What pun?" she asked. I smiled and waved it off as Dawn unbuttoned the top button of her shirt, exposing as much of her bust as innocently as possible, whilst still trying to remain...decent.

We came to a halt in front of the two massive behemoths and instinctively I held my right foot on its toes and spun a bunch of strands of hair around my finger. Dawn flashed the guards a pearly-white smile. I let Dawn speak first.

"Hey, guys! I heard there's a big event going on here. What's that all about?" she pouted, throwing on a deliberate baby voice. It was cute, but enticing at the same time.

The guard on the left didn't move a muscle, although he had so many, I might not have noticed. The one on the right, however, returned Dawn's smile with one of his own and responded, "There's a Pokémon Showcase happening in there, and I heard the Pokémon Champion and Kalos Queen will _both _be there! This is the line for anyone who wants to compete, just as long as they're female, of course."  
The first guard chuckled deeply, "This isn't the _Valentine's Day Sweetheart Showcase_, after all!" The two guards laughed heartily, allowing Dawn a chance to whisper to me, "Do what I do, 'kay?"

I nodded discretely, watching Dawn's every move. I waited for her signal.

Dawn looked back at the line the guard had pointed out and whined loudly, "But we'll be lined up _ages_! Surely there's something you guys can do…I'm sorry, I don't know your names."  
_Smooth, _I thought. The guard on the left introduced himself, "I'm Andrew. This baldy over here's Stan."  
"_Baldy_? I'm not bald, I told you! The stupid hairdresser coughed when she was cutting my hair and shaved a massive line down the middle! I'd be the laughingstock of the event staff if I came to work today like that!"  
"You already are…" Andrew muttered. Dawn giggled obnoxiously, which I mimicked quickly. She stepped behind me and put her hands on my shoulders. I suddenly compared myself to a trophy being displayed by a pretentious owner.

"Well, this one's name is Shauna. And I'm Dawn! We're visiting from Sinnoh and we're thinking of entering this little Showcase thingy. But we can only hang around outside until curfew, because that's when our fraternity leader told us to be back at the hotel…"

_Fraternity leader? What is she…?_ Dawn gave me a nod, asking for my acknowledgment. I got the hint straightaway.

"Yeah, Stacey's always so, like, uptight!" I slurred, suddenly finding myself throwing a stereotypical high school teenage girl. I surprised myself with it, but didn't falter.

"Seriously! It's like she doesn't think we know she hooks up with loads of guys when us and our sisters are out…" Dawn added. I gave her an impressed look, which got me a wink in return.

Stan and Andrew were now conversing between themselves, gesturing between the two of us. _Could they be any more obvious? _I asked myself.

Dawn clicked her fingers quickly, grabbing my attention. I leaned over to her and she whispered, "Time to show off our _assets_…" She yawned and deliberately knocked her beanie off of her head, onto the ground behind us.

"Whoops!" Dawn exclaimed, giving the guards another million-dollar smile. "Jeez, I'm so clumsy! I'll just pick it up…" Dawn dipped, bending over right in front of Andrew, giving him a perfect view of whatever was underneath her skirt.

I took a second to reminisce about when _I _used to do that, but I never had the audacity to do it with a skirt on. _Must be a Sinnoh thing, _I noted.

I decided not to leave poor Stan out in the rain, because Andrew seemed pretty preoccupied with…Dawn.

I bent down next to Dawn and giggled, "I'll help, Dawny!" We fumbled with the beanie for a second or twenty, swaying our so-called _assets _side to side, for good measure.

My back was starting to get sore, so I whispered over to Dawn, "How much longer?"

"Not yet…" she responded. I waited patiently, trying to disperse the thought of pain from my mind.

"Okay, now." I sighed and straightened up, spinning on the spot and beaming at Stan. Dawn did the same.

"See anything you like, hun?" I asked seductively. I took a mental double-take, not actually realising I'd said anything. It seemed like I'd said it…on instinct. But it felt so familiar…

Andrew and Stan stood there like buffoons, stuttering nervously. I was pretty sure I hadn't lost my touch just yet. Dawn decided now would be as good a time as any to try.

"So, um…do you think you could let us _come_…in?" Dawn purred.

I picked up on her wordplay and added, "We don't want to have to get back into that _long_, _thick _line…"

Andrew looked at Stan and nodded. They marked our hands with a stamp of a Braixen, the current Kalos Queen, Serena's lead Pokémon. I was pretty sure I could feel their gazes firmly planted on our butts as we strutted towards the Showcase registration desk.

Once we were safely I pushed Dawn jokingly and mocked, "Oh, dear! I hope our _frat leader_,_ Stacey_ doesn't spot us out after curfew! She might give us a spanking again!"

Dawn laughed, "Yeah, but Stacey's probably too preoccupied with our frat sisters…or a few guys…to even notice we're gone!"

We snickered all the way to the registration desk, where we both filled out a quick _personal information _form. My pass was labelled _Entrant 124_, but Dawn's was labelled _VIP_. We accepted our laminated passes, so we wouldn't have to endure that awful line tomorrow.

"You know, I like you, Shauna," Dawn announced. "You're not like some of these other girls I've seen here. You're actually cool, without being, like, a diva."

I took the compliment to heart, appreciating the fact that I could make such a resounding impression within the confines of half-an-hour.

"You're pretty awesome yourself, Dawn. I guess I'm friends with a Top Coordinator now," I replied, beaming.

Dawn returned the smile and walked next to me as we made our way to a portable barista stand, desperate for coffee. I ordered an iced mocha with an extra chocolate shot. Dawn seemed amused by my order.  
"Interesting choice," she commented.

I sipped my drink and shrugged, "Mum always made me one of these after I had…" I stopped abruptly, on the verge of tears. I always avoided thinking about my dream, whenever I could. But, for some reason, it had just crept into plain sight. I wiped an emerging glint from my eye quickly, but a fraction of a second too late.

"Are you okay, Shauna?" Dawn asked, concerned. I nodded without talking. She put an arm around me and gave me a small hug, whispering, "Its okay, its okay…I've been there, Shauna. Trust me, sweetie." I sniffled, thankful for Dawn's unexpected support. A sudden memo triggered in my mind as I looked at Dawn's smiling face.

"Hey, Dawn?"  
"Yeah?"  
"You said you were looking for someone. A guy. What was his name?"  
"Its okay, I doubt you'd know him. He kinda…moves around a lot nowadays."

"I know, you told me that already. But I'm pretty knowledgeable about most people around Kalos. I used to frequent the Showcase scene, anyway."  
Dawn looked away, obviously reluctant to say this mystery man's name. Whoever this guy is, he must've had a lasting effect on her.

"Promise you won't laugh?" she asked tenderly. I smiled cutely, nodding.

Dawn sighed, "His name…i-it's…"

"Yes?"  
"His name is…"  
"His name is _what_?" I demanded impatiently, growing tired of this game.

"…Ash. Ash Ketchum."


	7. Chapter 7

**In Ash's POV**

I groaned as we waited for the empty carousel to reveal our luggage. It was around three o'clock in the morning and all I wanted was to do was collapse to the ground. The only thing keeping me awake was Serena's cute, but loud yawning. I gave her a dry smile and allowed her to lean on my shoulder, watching her fall asleep within seconds as she wrapped her smooth hand around mine. I gave in and dropped my head down onto hers, teasing myself with a minute of wondrous slumber.

Jessica took no displeasure in waking me up, shoving a heavy bag full of clothes _she'd _picked out for us into my open arm. My eyes shot open as I stumbled, due to the sudden weight increase. Jessica was staring at her phone intently, giggling like a schoolgirl.  
"What's so funny?" I sighed, barely having enough strength to talk. She gave me the phone, which was showing a photo of me and Serena standing in the middle of a deserted airport, sleeping on each other. We obviously appear to be exhausted, and above it is a cation that says, _"Even Kalos Royalty needs to sleep sometimes! #KalosRoyalty #Sleepyheads #CuteCouple #LumioseShowcase_".  
"I posted it a few seconds ago," Jessica explained. I squinted as my eyes began to readjust to the bright light emitting from Jessica's phone. I looked over the photo again and discovered a small blip on the screen.  
"What's that?" I asked, pointing the blip out. Jessica peered over the top of the phone and smiled.  
"That's the _like _button. It says how many people like your photo."

I rolled my eyes, irritated by Jessica's dumb act.

"I know what _that _is, Jess. But what's that weird moving number next to it?"  
Jessica looked again, noticing the number this time. She gasped, a wide grin appearing on her face.  
"That's…that's how many people like your photo."

"It's not stopping," I noted.  
"I know."  
"You posted that about thirty seconds ago, Jess."  
"I know."  
"It's…still going, Jess."  
"I know."

"Is that normal?"  
"No."

"What's going on?" Serena whispered. She stretched out and gestured for a hug. I wrapped my hands around her waist and sniffed her strawberry-scented hair, kissing her forehead delicately.

"Not much. Jess just made a photo of us sleeping together go viral," I explained. Serena pushed me away, revealing the horrified expression she had plastered onto her face.  
"What?!" she screamed. I plugged my ears a second too late, unable to avoid Serena's outburst.

Jessica slapped the back of my head dramatically, rushing to aid a disgruntled Serena. "He didn't mean it like that, Serena! Don't worry; I haven't got a photo of you two doing _that_…" Jess attempted.

"Because we haven't done _that_!" Serena exclaimed.

Jessica raised her hands above her head, shrugging innocently.

"…Haven't done that _yet_…" I pointed out.

Serena gave me a death stare, something that would've scared me a few months ago. But now, all it did was make me chuckle as I embraced Serena again. I enjoyed a chilling breeze that emerged from an open door that revealed the tranquillity of early morning Lumiose City as Jessica grabbed our final bags from the carousel.

Serena gave me one last cute pout before hugging my waist and burying her head into my _Champion Approved _hooded jacket.

I took one of our bags from Jessica and stumbled outside into the awaiting drone of the bright lights that occupied Lumiose City. It had an odd serenity to it. A tantalising glow of street lamps and neon signs combined with the gentle whisper of a pure, unadulterated gust seemed so peaceful that it could calm a storm formed by the wrath of the heavens. I took a fond second to memorise this breathtaking scene before entering a large taxi next to Serena, who was barely able to keep her eyes open.

"We'll be at the hotel soon, Serena. You can sleep then," I comforted.  
Serena yawned, "Don't we have to be up again in, like, four hours?"  
I sat in silence, not realising the restrictions of our limited schedule. Serena snickered and took my hand. "It's alright, though. It'll be a _blissful_ four hours sleeping next to you, Ash…"  
I rolled my eyes and groaned, "Wow! Even _I _know that was cheesy, Serena. Seriously?" She just shrugged in response. I closed my eyes, resting in content.

I flung myself down onto a cold, leathery couch inside our dressing room. The muffled screams and cheers of the crowd above us had dampened, allowing me a moment of relaxation. How Jessica had managed to sneak us into the stadium entrance without being spotted, I'd never figure out.

I amused myself by watching Serena struggle with her hair. She'd made it perfectly clear that _she _would be the one to do her hair, and not one of the many stylists she had at her disposal. I trudged over to her and sat my head on her shoulder, admiring her through the mirror.

"Hair won't stay still?" I asked, feeling a twinge of familiarity as I did so.

"You know," Serena replied, turning to face me, "Sometimes I miss my old haircut…"

I tutted, "You don't mean that."  
"No, I don't," Serena admitted. "I _love _my long hair."

"I love your long hair, too…" I added, gently kissing her forehead. I waited for Serena to close her eyes before stealthily grabbing a red ribbon Serena had laid out in front of her, a sly trick I'd picked up a couple of months ago. I pulled her hair back and began to tie it the way she taught me to. I added a little bow onto the end of it and watched Serena laugh as she looked over my craftsmanship.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, slightly ashamed.

Serena shook her head and removed the bow, untying all of my hard work in seconds. "I want to try something new," Serena explained. She chucked the ribbon to the side and rested her arms on my shoulders, smoothing out the creases I'd deliberately made in my vest; another trick I'd learned.

"So, what do you want to try?" I lingered, raising my eyebrow and putting on a seductive tone.

"Not like _that_! I mean, like, wear my hair out or something."  
I ran a hand through Serena's luscious, silky hair, taking a second to think. I could see a bright sparkle in her eyes, an excited sparkle. I loved to see her like this, when she was truly happy.

I decided to go and check up on our Pokémon. It had been a few hours since I'd seen Pikachu and the rest of the gang and I wanted to make sure they were enjoying themselves. After all, my holiday was nearly over and I'd have to go back to the Kalos League soon. I could only imagine how many people had lined up by now to challenge me for my title by now.

"I'm gonna go check on the others," I told Serena.

She spun around and grabbed me quickly, pouting sarcastically.

"Ash, don't leave me!" Serena whined with a grin.  
_Ash, don't leave me…leave me…leave me…_ The sentence sent a shiver down my spine as I blinked furiously, trying to erase the short-cut jeans and pink shirt that had just appeared on a strange, brown-haired Serena. I shook my head and stared at Serena, hoping that she'd returned to normal, but she hadn't. I stared blankly at Serena, unable to speak. I was beginning to hyperventilate, my hands were shaking and I couldn't focus properly.  
I sprinted out of the dressing room, leaving a puzzled Serena standing alone, and collapsed to the ground outside. A nearby stage assistant rushed to aid me, but I waved him off.

"It's alright. I'm…I'm okay…" I lied.

He nodded and turned back to his group of assistants. I got up and briskly walked to the bathroom. I entered a cubicle and sat down, desperately trying to calm myself.

"How is this still happening?" I asked myself aloud.

I thought I'd finally gotten rid of that memory of Shauna, but it still haunted me. I'd been to three therapists in secret to try and rid my conscience of her, and nothing had worked.

I tried to control my breathing and concentrate my thoughts.

_What did Dr Andrew say to do? _I pondered. I gasped as I remembered the therapeutic calming technique he had taught me.

_"__Think of a calm, quiet place where you would want to be,"_ he had once said.  
I closed my eyes and imagined that I was back at that beach in Courmarine City. Back in Serena's arms as we watched a majestic, waterborne sunset.

I sighed, returning from that wonderful vision back to the real world. My shaking had subsided and I was breathing at a normal rate again. I exited the cubicle and washed my face in the basin.

I stared at my dripping wet face in the mirror and sniffled, "Why do I still think of her?"

Shauna's face appeared in the mirror, replacing mine. She looked at me with the same distraught look she gave me when we parted ways, making me quiver.

_"__You know why, Ash…"_ Shauna whispered. I wiped my eyes with cold hands, clearing Shauna's face from the mirror and repairing mine. I peered over my shoulder in case anyone was watching and sighed.  
"I must be going crazy…" I muttered to myself. I dried my face and left the bathroom. I forgot all about seeing Pikachu and the others, because I just wanted to see Serena again. She would fix all this. She always did, even without knowing it.

I stumbled back to our dressing room and was about to knock on the door, but I paused. I put a fake smile on and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" an angelic voice asked.

I replied, "It's me, Serena. Could you open up, please?"  
I heard a loud _clink _as the lock opened, revealing a concerned expression on the face of Serena.

"Are you okay? You looked pretty shell-shocked when you left, and you didn't say a word."  
I sighed, "Yeah. I'm…I'm okay. Just a little…stressed, that's all."

Serena moved quickly, embracing me as fast as possible. I returned the hug and rested my head on hers. I could already feel my bad vibes dispersing away.

"Thanks, Serena. You have no idea how much I need you," I said, speaking with true honesty.

"Same goes for me, Ash. I need you, too. So much…" Serena whispered.  
"Come on, let's get going. I heard a stage assistant say that we're going on in a few minutes."

Serena nodded, giving me one last concerned look. "Are you sure you're alright?"  
I smiled, genuinely happy that Serena wouldn't drop it. It was selfish of me to want that, but I knew she truly cared. Maybe that's why she always felt a little…different, in comparison to the other girls I'd travelled with. She was gentler than Misty, sweeter than May, more comforting than Dawn and generally just _better _than Iris.

"I'm sure," I answered, kissing Serena lightly on the forehead.

Something inside me had triggered my confidence to return after seeing Serena again. I quickly reached for the doorknob, holding the door open for Serena, just like Mum had told me to. Serena giggled at something and waited for me outside our dressing room. I shut the door and wrapped my arm around Serena's shoulder, holding her close. Together we made our way to the stage entrance, stopping occasionally to talk to some of the staff about the event. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man running towards me with a huge grin on his face and two security guards after him.

"Mr Ketchum!" he yelled. I turned to face him, just as the guards caught him. As he struggled, I managed to identify his familiar face.

"Antonio!"  
The man's face lit up. I approached the guards and told them Antonio was a friend of mine. They nodded and handed him a _VIP Pass__._ Antonio slipped the pass over his neck and hugged me, lifting me off the ground with surprising ease.

"Thank you, Mr Ketchum, sir!" Antonio exclaimed. I chuckled awkwardly as Serena came over next to me.

"I remember you!" Serena smiled. "You served us pancakes at that hotel in Courmarine City, didn't you?"

Antonio nodded enthusiastically, "That's correct! By the way, thanks to you two, business has never been better for me. People heard that you liked our pancakes, and they've been selling faster than I can make them!"  
I looked at Serena, who had an amazed expression on her face. I often forgot how much influence we could have on the public's opinions.  
"But, what do you want Ash for?" Serena questioned. At that moment, _I _remembered why Antonio was here.

I shook my head at Antonio, hoping that he would understand my situation.

Antonio stuttered, "I…I-I came to…to…wish you two luck tonight! You know, with the judging…"

I nodded, mouthing the words "_nice one_".  
Serena beamed, "Oh, thank you! Um, but surely that praise would be better for the actual contestants?"

Antonio recovered, "Well, yes…but I don't know any of the contestants!"  
"Fair enough…" Serena muttered. I could tell from her tone that she knew Antonio was lying. I took the moment of sudden confusion as a signal to get moving.

"We'll see you after the Showcase, Antonio!" I yelled as we continued to the stage entrance. I looked back at Antonio to see him giving me the thumbs up. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Serena's cake had been delivered.

We arrived at the side of the Contest stage, stunned by the amount of people that had crammed themselves into this Stadium. I took Serena's hand, mostly just to feel her warmth. She looked up at me and smirked, "Scared?"

"Out of my mind," I replied with a grin. "You?"  
"Terrified. Utterly terrified. But I'll survive, as long as you don't faint when we walk onstage."  
"I told you, that wasn't what happened! I slipped and hit my head…"

Serena laughed, "Sure."

I gazed at her for a second, captivated. The crowd began to get quieter as I focused on Serena. My eyes caressed her every detail; from her shiny, strawberry-scented hair to her perfect blue eyes to her soft, supple lips. She emitted beauty without even trying.

She gave me a breathtaking smile and winked, "What's up?"  
"I love you."

Serena's smile faltered as she heard the seriousness in my voice. "I know; I love you, too."  
I shook my head, "No, Serena. This isn't just for the cameras, or just because I thought I was supposed to say it. I genuinely mean it. I love you with all my heart, body and soul. I will protect you from anything that tries to tear us apart and watch as you shine in front of the whole world."  
Serena stood in dazed silence. I was praying that I hadn't freaked her out by getting as serious as I did.

"You…I've never seen you get that deep before, Ash. It was kinda weird, coming from you..." Serena noted.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfor…"  
"Don't be sorry."

I locked her gaze into mine, not concerned by anything else.  
"What?"  
"Don't be sorry," Serena repeated. "You didn't make me feel uncomfortable. In fact, I think I'm more trusting of you more now than ever."  
I scoffed, amazed that my confession had gone so well. "Really?"  
Serena sniffed, wiping an emerging tear from her eye. "It took a lot for you to say that. Believe me, I know what it's like to know you like someone and not say anything."

I chuckled, "Back when you found me in Santalune, right?"

Serena smiled to herself, "Shut up."

"Do you?" I asked.

"Do I what?" Serena replied sarcastically.

"Come on, Serena. Do you love me?"  
"With everything I've got, Ash. And I always will."  
I sighed, emotionally exhausted. The crowd roared back to life, destroying our limited sense of privacy immediately. I hugged Serena tightly one last time as a stage assistant called for us to come onstage.

"Let's go," Serena whispered.

We stood at the foot of the curtain, half-blinded by the lights on the stage.

I leaned over to Serena and murmured, "You know how I said I loved you?"  
"Yeah?" Serena muttered back.

"I lied."

With that, I pushed Serena onstage and watched as she turned back to face me. She was as white as a ghost and looked completely distraught. I laughed, walking onstage next to Serena and put an arm around her, leaning into her ear as I did so.

"Totally joking, Serena! I just wanted to get rid of your nerves…" I smirked proudly.

She frowned and punched me, half joking, half serious. "Ash Ketchum, I'd _kill _you if you weren't so damn perfect!"  
I scoffed, "I'm perfect to you?"  
Serena winked, "Nope. But you'll do." I grinned as we turned to face our adoring fans, waving to them and receiving an uproar of approval in return. I felt Serena gently kiss my cheek, which I returned with a kiss to her strawberry-flavoured lips. _Strawberries are a recurring theme with her…_I noted.  
We took a deep breath together and made our way to our Judges' seats. We waited patiently as the first round of contestants made their way onto the stage.

"Here we go," I whispered to Serena. She nodded in return.

I counted the girls as the filed onstage, mentally recalling thirty or so. That would be ten rounds of three per round, and this was just the first group. Who knew how many had entered?  
As I scanned the group, I came across a familiar face. A face that would've sent me into immediate shock if Serena hadn't been right next to me. I tried to calm down, but I was already starting to shake again. I couldn't stop it, _she _was making me.

Standing onstage, about ten metres away from me, was a girl I couldn't get out of my head, for all the wrong reasons.

Shauna had entered the Showcase. And I had to watch her _every_ move.


	8. Chapter 8

**In Serena's POV**

"Wasn't that incredible?" Stacy asked enthusiastically to the audience. Thousands of people screamed in agreement, making me wince. My headache was quickly growing more painful, but I pushed through it for the sake of all those performing. I knew how terrifying a Showcase could be for a girl, especially after my experiences.

I checked on Ash to see how he was doing. Unbelievably, he was _asleep_! His gentle snore and adorable pout was almost irresistible to me, but I had to wake him up before a camera spotted him sleeping while some random girl tried to pour her heart out for us.

I shook him delicately; slightly upset that I had to disturb him while he was in such a pleasant state and whispered, "Wakey wakey, sleepyhead…"  
Ash fluttered his eyes, yawning quietly. He wiped his eyes and looked around, confused as to where he was. After a moment, he turned to me with a stunned expression and scoffed, "Did I fall asleep?"

I giggled and nodded, "Yeah, but only for a little bit."

Ash gave me a cheeky grin and muttered, "I dreamt about you, Serena."

I raised an eyebrow curiously, wondering whether or not Ash was joking. It seemed odd that Ash would waste his dreams on someone as insignificant as me.

"Seriously?" I questioned cautiously.

"Seriously. I…I've done it a few times, but I thought it might've been a bit creepy if I had admitted it before. But now, I guess I can say all that mushy stuff that couples say on TV, huh?" Ash smiled.

I blushed, "No, it's still creepy. But…a _good _creepy. Like, _teenage boy that watches his Pikachu while it sleeps _creepy."

"Shut up. _You _still brush Braixen at night, so you can't talk!" Ash fought back.

I gasped, "That is called _hygiene_, Ash! Something _I _had to teach _you_…"

Ash paused, probably remembering his sticky, syrupy fingers from back in Courmarine City. I smirked and gave him a quick kiss, "Just kidding!"

Ash laughed and leaned into the kiss, making it linger a little longer than we probably should've let it. I would have been completely focused on Ash's tongue if it wasn't for another judge next to me tapping my shoulder.  
"Psst, Serena!" she whispered. "Knock it off; the next contestants are coming on!"

I broke the kiss and quickly glossed my lips, because I knew I'd swamped Ash's lips with the last lot. I turned to thank the judge to my right, but I stopped. She looked so familiar, with her two flowing pink ponytails and her vibrant yellow beret only masking her further. It was only when I got closer that I finally recognised her.

"Aria?" I gasped.

She spun back with a smile and cheered, "You remembered me!"

I felt my heart pumping as I realised that she was wearing the _exact _same disguise she wore when I met her for the first time, back when she called herself Arianna.

"Of course I remembered you, Aria!" I grinned. "Thanks to you, I'm Kalos Queen! I wouldn't even _be _here if it wasn't for you."

Aria smirked, "I think you've got something _else _to thank me for, too..." She gestured over to Ash, who was assessing a girl named Georgina onstage. He was scrawling something on his little clipboard, desperately acting like he knew what to do. What Ash didn't realise was that Georgina's routine hadn't even started yet. It was kind of adorable.

I blushed again, "Oh…um, yeah…"

Aria laughed obnoxiously, "You don't have to be embarrassed! I mean, he _is _your boyfriend, right?"

I felt a little awkward, so I just nodded mutely.

"You know, just because we have moments of weakness, doesn't mean we have to keep them around," Aria advised. "You're actually a perfect example of that."

I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Well," Aria began, "Compare yourself now with you last year, when I met you. You were nervous, confused, unexperienced, and honestly…" I looked straight through Aria, wondering if she would take pity.

"…a little transparent."

That confused me. _What does she mean by __**transparent**__? _I wondered.

Aria must've spotted my quizzical look, because she immediately continued, "I'm not, like, trying to be offensive or anything! I meant transparent as in...easy to see-through. I mean, I saw you next to Ash for two seconds, and I could _easily _tell you liked him."

I muttered with a smile, "Was I really that obvious?"

"Sweetie, you may as well have been wearing a t-shirt that said "_very interested in_" and pointed to Ash," Aria replied bluntly. We both had a silent giggling fit, mostly to avoid the slightly intimidating fact that she'd just insulted me. I decided to ignore it, sensing that Aria was just joking around.

"But now…" My eyes lit up as Aria beamed, "Now look at you! You're a Kalos Queen, you're a beacon of confidence and beauty, you have your dream boyfriend, you…"

"Wait," I interrupted. "How did you know Ash was my dream boyfriend?"

Aria sighed, "Well, apart from keeping tabs on your social media pages…" She leaned closer and whispered, "By the way, cute pic this morning! Who posted it?"

"Oh, um…that was Jessica. She's one of my best friends I met in Lumiose City, back when I travelled around Kalos with Ash," I explained. "She's also the head of Wardrobe for me and Ash."

"Cool. Tell her to call me later, yeah?" Aria asked. I nodded.

"Okay, so like I was saying," she restarted. "Apart from your social media accounts, I was also a girl with a crush, once. I could tell that look of unconditional love a mile away, Serena. I'm just surprised Ash couldn't…"

"Ash can be a _little _dense sometimes," I admitted. "But that just makes him that much cuter, right?"  
We both peered over at Ash, who, true to form, had fallen asleep again. He was mumbling something strange in his sleep and was even trying to make out with thin air! I gasped, realising what Ash meant when we talked earlier.

_I bet you __**were **__dreaming about me, Ash Ketchum, _I thought.

At that moment, the girl onstage, Georgina, cleared her throat, signalling that she was ready to begin her performance. Aria and I turned to face the stage, giving her our utmost attention.

"We'll talk later, Serena," Aria whispered through a bright smile.

"For sure," I responded. I quickly nudged Ash in the ribs, giving him a painfully rude awakening.

"…must be going crazy…" Ash mumbled as he stirred.

_What was that? _I asked myself.  
Ash blinked a few times and stretched out, giving me a gentle smirk. I winked at him and pointed to the stage, indicating that he had to focus now. He nodded and grabbed his little clipboard, leaving me with a smile on my face as I watched Georgina make her Arcanine use Flamethrower. This was going to be a long day.

We'd finally made it through all of the elimination rounds and had finished the first finalist round. A stunning girl with wavy brown hair and a seductive smile named AJ had won her penultimate round, and now it was time for the second round.

The three finalists were announced individually by the _ShowcaseTV _live reporter, Stacy. She'd been nominated to commentate for the Showcase by some poll on _ShowcaseTV_, or something.

Stacy took to the stage, letting me admire the purple streak that ran through her hair. Her entire outfit was almost identical to it; a pink sleeveless with a thick line of purple down the left side, just like her hair.

Accompanying it was a pink mini-skirt with that same purple line on the side, and individual stockings: purple on the left, pink on the right. She would've looked weird enough in neon lighting, but as some sarcastic joke, she wore glow sticks all around her neck, wrists, arms and waist. I wondered if she'd look like an eerie green night-light when she walked outside.

Stacy held the microphone up to her ruby red lips and grinned, "Alright, guys! We're _so _close to giving one lucky lady a chance of a lifetime. Can you feel the excitement?"  
The audience squealed in delight, fuelling Stacy with their energy.

"I know _I _can feel it! So let's get our next three finalists up here and see who's gonna _win this thing_!" Stacy yelled. The audience mimicked her enthusiasm, blazing the Stadium alight with chants and cheers loud enough to burst my eardrums…again. She took her place at the side of the curtain and took a cue-card from a stage assistant.

"Okay, our Performers! First, a cutie from the chilly Dendemille Town," Stacy read. "She's competing with her two equally cute Pokémon, Florges and Litleo. Let's all give a massive cheer for Winter!"

A short, skinny girl with oddly pale skin and short brown hair nervously wobbled to the middle of the stage. Her dress was thick with frills and stripes, like a Zebstrika wearing a tutu.

She gave a shy wave to the crowd before taking her place to the far left of the stage. An empty purple hourglass appeared above her, representing her popularity bar. If the crowd enjoyed her performance at the end, they would wave their individual wands with the colour purple on the tip. Even to this day, I still had no idea how the beams of light flew to the hourglasses. It was as if they all had their own little monorail track that twirled and sparkled its way to the stage.

Stacy drew another breath as she prepared to introduce the second semi-finalist.

"Our next Performer, from right here in Lumiose City…" The locals in the crowd roared in happiness after hearing their hometown's name.

"…competing with her Roserade and Swirlix, it's Ashleigh!" Stacy cried.

Right on cue, a confident-looking blonde girl strode onstage, emitting a sense of flair and sass immediately. It was both refreshing and intimidating, seeing someone have _that _much trust in both themselves _and _their Pokémon. However, something looked different about her from the other thirty or so girls I'd seen today; she wasn't wearing anything special. In fact, all she was wearing was a tight, obviously undersized shirt and skinny jeans. Maybe her intention was to look more appealing to the male audience than her Pokémon?

"_Wouldn't be the first time I've seen that happen…_" I muttered to myself disgracefully. After I'd earned my first Key back in Laverre City, I had fallen in love with Pokémon Performing indefinitely, and had found a newborn respect for it. I also had discovered a powerful distain for those who tried to insult or make fun of Performing. Ash had called me a _real fangirl_, which made me blush at the time.

I watched as Ashleigh took her place next to Winter, giving her opponent a friendly wave as she did so. Stacy took centre stage again and moved the microphone towards her mouth, keen to introduce the final participant.

"And finally," Stacy began, "From the glistening city of Santalune, competing with her Bulbasaur and Eevee, here's Shauna!"

I gasped as a familiar brunette made her way onstage, sporting her memorable pink dress, which looked like it had only just recently been tended to; as if it had just been found at the back of a wardrobe after being forgotten for months and was hurriedly repaired back to life.  
Shauna gave the crowd a smile, not exactly with gusto, but with a sense of anticipation and excitement. She then looked down at the Judges' table and gave me a small wave. I beamed and returned the gesture, happy to see Shauna again after such a long time. I didn't even notice Ash having a quiet panic attack to my left as I admired Shauna's rejuvenated look. As she took her place next to Ashleigh and Winter, I wondered what her performance would be like, and when she got an Eevee.

I leaned over to Ash and whispered, "Wow, Shauna's looking great, huh? I don't think we've seen her since…"  
"…since that time on Route 12," Ash muttered coldly. I turned to look at him, surprised by his immediate recollection.  
"Yeah, I know. You, uh…you been thinking about that lately?" I asked, curious as to how Ash would react.

He gave me a strange look and shrugged, "N…not r-really…"

I gave him an understanding smile and continued, "I only ask because you batted that little statistic off your brain pretty fast…and you don't exactly look that great, either. Are you alrig…?"

"I'm fine, Serena! Jeez, just get off my case, alright?!" Ash yelled, a lot louder than I expected. His intensity made me flinch and actually scared me a bit. I shrivelled in my seat and felt a droplet emerging from the corner of my eye. Ash had never yelled at me before, and it had just crushed a part of me inside.

Ash saw me sniffle and gasped, "Oh, Arceus, no! I am _so _sorry, Serena. I never should've yelled at you like that." He immediately jumped out of his seat and rushed to hug me, whispering apologies into my ear caringly.  
I hugged him back, wiping my one tear away with my sleeve. I forgave Ash almost immediately for stunning me like that, as if I wouldn't have anyway. I was actually more happy that Ash literally ran to my side when I was sad than anything. I knew his confession to me before the Showcase was sincere, but this was just something to help prove it. I knew for certain that Ash loved me now, and I was sure that I loved him, too.  
Although, I was still curious as to why Ash erupted out like that. It was so uncharacteristic for him. So…un-Ash.

"Let's get back to the Showcase, Ash."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm good, Ash. Thank you for caring so much."

"Anything for you, Serena. I love you."

"I…I love you, too."

Ash sighed compassionately, thankful that he'd been forgiven. He went back to his seat, not looking away from me once. I gave him a little grin and a thumbs-up just as a final confirmation. He finally accepted this and slumped back into his chair, rubbing his forehead and breathing heavily. I looked from him to Shauna and back again, wondering what caused Ash's outburst.

_Maybe I'm missing something? _I thought to myself as the three contestants entered their respective pods for their Theme Performance. I stared at Ash anxiously, hoping that whatever was causing him stress wouldn't last.  
I hadn't seen him like this before, and honestly…I didn't like it.


	9. Chapter 9

**In Dawn's POV **

I watched from behind a velvet rope in the _VIP section _of the Stadium as my new BFF Shauna faced this girl named AJ, smiling intently. They had reached the Free Performance section of the Showcase, which was apparently supposed to be like the Performance stage of a Contest. AJ was using her Driblim to float her other Pokémon, Absol, up high into the air. AJ then commanded Drifblim to use Shadow Ball, which caused it to drop Absol, momentarily letting it freefall. Absol contorted its body around to face the approaching sphere of darkness and waited for AJ's call.

_A predictable setup… _I noted, remembering one of the many times I'd gotten Mamoswine to launch Pachirisu into the air like that. It was almost too easy to guess that AJ would make her Absol pop the Shadow Ball.

"Alright, Absol! Use Psycho Cut!" AJ directed. As expected, Absol sent a vibrant swipe of bright pink energy straight to the Shadow Ball attack, bursting the new combination move and scattering an arrangement of pink and purple shards over the audience. Most of the crowd gazed up in awe at the sparkling cloud, but I was left in an equally-predictable state of dissatisfaction.

"Well, at least she's pretty…" I muttered under my breath.

A bulky guy in a plaid shirt leaned over to me and asked, "That was impressive, don't you think?"

I ignored his garlic breath and replied with a false smile, "Yeah, it was, uh…definitely something, I guess…"

He gave me a quizzical look, "You weren't impressed?"

"It's not that I wasn't impressed, it's just…" I began to move my hand to my one-strap bag to grab my Ribbon case, which contained all five of my Contest Ribbons and my Top Coordinator ribbon, but I thought better of it. This guy mightn't even know what a Coordinator was, so what was the use?

"…I'd seen it before. That's all," I concluded.

He nodded in approval, as if he had an apt response. His intimidating stare told me otherwise as he traced my body from head to toe. I didn't like how long he was looking at me, so I broke the silence with a cough.

"So," I began, "What are you here for?"

"I'm here for my niece; she was performing today, but got eliminated in the preliminaries," he explained. "I can't pick her up until this thing is over, but at least I get to talk to pretty girls like you…"

I chuckled awkwardly, desperately looking for an empty seat to climb over so I could ditch this creep. He joined me in laughter, but when he rested his hand on my knee, I couldn't allow myself to sit here and absorb this.  
"Uh, no. Sorry, but I'm _definitely _not interested. I…I actually have to leave now," I stuttered, slightly disgusted by the man's clammy palm. I attempted to move past him, but as I did so, he grabbed my hand and stared at me threateningly.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure you weren't leaving. I'm pretty sure you were just sitting back down, sweetie," he forced, squeezing my wrist painfully.

A Pokéball opened from inside my Bag, revealing my brilliant Prinplup. He had evolved about a year ago, while I was travelling through Hoenn, and ever since then, he'd become a little…over-protective. Although, at this moment, it was appreciated.

Prinplup blasted the man with a spout of water, drenching him head-to-toe. A few bystanders in the VIP section snickered at the man's obvious embarrassment, which gave me enough time to escape his grasp.

"Well, this has been creepy and all…" I began, putting my hands behind me and backing away, "…but I gotta jet. _Au revoir, mon cherie_!"

And with that, Prinplup and I walked down the aisle towards one of the nearest section exits, guided by several people's impressed applause. I managed a weak smile as I pushed a door open and fell to the floor in exhaustion. I hadn't been that scared in a long time. I think the last time was…when Ash left on that boat two years ago.

Prinplup helped me up and sprayed a thin layer of mist over me, rejuvenating me.

"Thanks, Prinplup. That guy was just too much."

Prinplup nodded as he started to trudge back to the door. I grabbed his fin and smiled, "It's alright, Prinplup. I don't think he's coming back, you can calm down."

Prinplup gave me a worried look, and decided to stand guard at the door, just in case. I smirked and thought to myself, "_If you were human, I'd kiss you…_"

I rose to my feet and peeked back inside the VIP section, checking for the gross man that Prinplup had fixed up. Thankfully, it seemed like he'd gone to find his niece.

"_If he even had one, the perv…_" I pondered, disgusted.

My attention was quickly drawn from the man to the main stage, where Ash was standing alone with a microphone. Many adoring female fans in the audience refused to let him speak for a solid minute, screaming at the top of their lungs. I had a huge crush on Ash, but even I thought that was overkill. Or maybe that was just the _minor _sense of jealousy that was beginning to stir inside me when I spotted Serena at the Judges' table.

Ash brought the microphone to his lips and grinned, "Wow, what a turnout! We've had some incredible talent up here tonight, haven't we?"

The crowd cheered in agreement, as I admired the way Ash had learned to pump up a crowd. It was effective, to say the least.

"And now, we're down to our final two Performers, who have just finished their Free Performances! It's now time to vote for your favourite Performer, and for us to find out who's leaving with the last Princess Key of the year!"

I began recalling each Performer's individual performances and Free Performances, trying to decipher who would be the winner.

"But, before you all vote, I have to confess something…" Ash revealed. The whole stadium went dead silent. "I, unfortunately, _won't _be able to be here for the Key Ceremony."

Many in the stadium groaned in dissatisfaction, unpleased that Ash was leaving early. But, I suppose the duties of a Champion can't wait forever...

"I know, it sucks. But I just wanted to tell you all that you've been awesome, and that Serena and I thank you all for coming out and helping us showcase some of the freshest talent in the Pokémon Performing industry. Thanks to everyone!"

As he gave the crowd a final wave, he placed the microphone on the ground and exited the stage. I noticed that he didn't walk off the side of the stadium exit, but the side of the dressing rooms.

"_Maybe I can catch up to him…_" I plotted, mentally recalling my way from my current position to the lower dressing rooms. I returned Prinplup into his Pokéball and jogged back into the hall, looking for the nearest row of stairs. As I clambered down them hurriedly, I secretly thanked myself for wearing these sneakers.

I appeared at a left-right split underneath the stadium; the sign on the left said "_Green Room_" and the sign on the right said "_Dressing Rooms A-F_". I took the right side and scanned above me cautiously, anticipating Ash coming around the side at any moment. As it turned out, I didn't need to worry about that.

I had passed the first three dressing rooms when I spotted him. My heart immediately raced, as I suddenly spotted the chubby man he was talking to. Ash had a thick clip of money in his hand, and was trying to hand it to the suspicious-looking man. He was waving his hands in front of him, not keen on accepting the money.

"C'mon, Antonio. I can't let you leave without _some _sort of payment. You've come all this way to deliver a cake, which you've _also_ not let me pay for, and you just want to leave? No way!" Ash pleaded.

The man laughed heartily and replied, "Mr Ketchum, I did this out of _appreciation_. I never intended for you to pay for a cent of this, and I'd like to keep it that way, out of principle. _You _will give your beautiful girlfriend the cake she deserved, and _she _will love it, I promise!"

Ash tried to argue, but eventually just decided to give Antonio a hug.

"Thanks, Antonio. I won't forget this. I know she'll love it."

"I hope so; I picked all the Oran berries on Route 12 for that cake!"

They shared one final laugh before Antonio gave Ash a parting wave. I watched as Ash walked into _Dressing Room E_, beaming wildly. I waited for Antonio to leave my line of sight before sneaking out into the open, still looking for any security that might be lingering.

I peeked into Ash's dressing room and spotted him sitting in front of a desk, writing on something in front of him. His back was to me, which was something I decided to use to my advantage. I entered the room and crawled into the middle of the room, barely grazing my fingertips over his chair. I slowly rose to my feet, cheekily admired myself in the mirror for a second and smiled.

I put my hands over Ash's eyes gently and whispered into his ear, "Guess who?"

Ash gasped, probably coming to grips with my familiar voice. "No way…"

I released my hands and grinned into the mirror, looking as radiant as ever. Ash's jaw dropping in shock as he turned to face me. I gave him a charming wink and a little wave as he rose to his feet.

"Dawn?" he gasped, probably wondering if I was actually here at this moment.

I nodded, "That's a cute look for you, _champ._"

Ash ran to me and gave me a hug, laughing incredulously. He broke the heart-warming embrace and smiled, "It's been ages, Dawn! How have you been?"

I ignored the fact that Ash had released the embrace much sooner than I'd have liked and replied with a cheery tone, "I've been great, Ash. Being a Top Coordinator now is so rewarding, it's a dream come true. But look at you, too! You've finally made it as a Champion, Ash! Congratulations."

Ash grinned, "Thanks, Dawn. Looks like we're both doing well, huh?"

"Yeah…" I agreed, noticing a slight twitch in his eye. It was as if his mind was preoccupied with something else, even though I'd surprised him with a visit.

A small, yet awkward pause between conversations forced Ash to ask, "So, why are you here? Are you scouting the possible competition for Contests, or are you maybe thinking of becoming a Performer?"

I blushed, "Um…I _might _be thinking about becoming a Performer…but that's not the only reason I came today."

"What's the other reason?" Ash questioned, his eyes beginning to dart from me to the door. He was _definitely _anticipating something, but what?

I attempted to regain his attention by taking a step closer and continuing, "I just…really wanted to see you again. I actually had something I wanted to tell you…"

I twirled a strand of my long, blue hair and stepped in front of the door, blocking his vision of the outside. I knew I had his attention now.

"Tell me…" Ash began. I swooped over to him, covering the distance between us before Ash could even finish his sentence. I rested in front of him, only allowing about an inch between us. "…what?" Ash finished, not daring to speak louder than a soft breeze.

I whispered gently, taking care to smile seductively as I did so, "I love you, Ash."

Ash took a step back, to which I immediately followed. I kept my composure as I proclaimed, "I need you, Ash. I need your cherry red lips on mine again. I need your admiration, your compassion, your desire. I need _you_, Ash Ketchum. And I'll travel the world till I get you."

Ash stumbled into his desk, knocking a decorative card he'd been writing in onto the floor. He reached for it, but I was faster. I scooped it up and opened it, gasping in shock at its contents:

"_To my darling Serena,  
To the world, you might be just one person.  
To one person, you might just be the world._

_I love you with all my heart,_

_And I want you to know, this birthday is only the start._

_Happy birthday, Serena!_"

"Serena…" I muttered to myself.

"I thought you knew, Dawn. Serena's…" Ash explained.

I interrupted, "Your girlfriend? I know. It's alright, though; everybody makes mistakes. Luckily…" I pressed closer until our lips only just grazed each other, "…I'm good at fixing mistakes."

With that remark, I gave Ash a lustful glance before turning back and closing the door.

"_This is going to be fun…_" I thought as the lock rolled over, separating us from the rest of the world. A wide grin spread uncontrollably on my face as I realised that I finally had him all to myself.

"Be my hero, Ash…" I whispered as I sat him down in his chair. "…be my Champion."

*********  
**A/N:**

**I'd like to give a quick shoutout to a fellow Fanfic author and friend of mine, 123Pearlshipping. He's an awesome author and he really helped me get through a slump I was in (something I've been notorious for lately...) so I could get this Chapter up, and start my other Fanfic up. It may be a little late, but the help is much appreciated, 123! ;) **


	10. Chapter 10

**In Shauna's POV**

I stood centre-stage with my mouth agape and my hands clasped together in front of me, frozen in shock and awe, as thousands of adoring fans rose to their feet and cheered for me.  
Stacy put a hand around me with a massive grin on her face and tried to say something to me, but I honestly couldn't hear her. Whether that was the crowd's fault or the simple fact that I was too dazed to understand a word of what she was saying, I would never know.

Stacy repeated herself, much slower this time, "Smile for the cameras, girl! You just won!"

I managed to look over my shoulder and smile nervously as Stacy raised my hand in victory, pressing the final Princess Key I needed into my hands. The crowd roared in approval, helping me rush back into reality. A broad smile crept its way onto my face as I gripped my brand new Princess Key tightly.

"_I've done it! I've made it into the Master Class!" _I repeated proudly to myself. I was practically jumping for joy, not noticing the Judges walking towards me onstage. I shook their hands courteously, even getting the chance to shake former Kalos Queen Aria's hand as they congratulated me. I made my way through the line of incredible guests, until I finally reached the current Kalos Queen.

Serena stood in front of me with a massive grin and a gleam in her eye. I reached my hand out politely, but she just shook her head and embraced me, laughing heartily.

"You did it, Shauna! I'm so happy for you! I can't wait to go up against you soon!" she exclaimed, wiping her eyes clean. She genuinely looked happy for me. I couldn't help but tear up myself.

"Thanks, Serena. I can't wait either!" I grinned.

She escorted me offstage, and waited until we'd past the stage curtain before squealing elatedly, "Sorry, but I'm so excited! I just can't stop smiling!"  
Her attitude was contagious; my smile still hadn't dissipated, either. We stopped momentarily as Serena talked to a stage assistant, asking her something. Once she got the nod of approval, Serena came back to me, beaming.

"I've got a little surprise being set up in my dressing room for you. We _have _to celebrate!" she explained.

I chuckled modestly, "Really, Serena, you don't have to do that…"

She tutted, "Don't be bashful, Shauna. I refuse to let you refuse!" My smile glowed even more as we continued to make our way through the concrete labyrinth underneath the stage.

"So…" I began, only just now realising how awkward things might be between us, "How's life?"

"Life's been…a little hectic lately," Serena admitted with a sigh. "Don't get me wrong; I love every minute of it…but it's just a bit _too _fast-paced for my liking. I don't get to slow down and enjoy anything anymore, not like I used to, at least."

I gave her a quick look, spotting a tiny grimace hiding in her smile's place. "You mean you don't get to spend enough time with Ash, right?"

She glanced down at my concerned expression with an obviously fake smirk. I was mostly trying to help, but a small part of me was quietly hoping there was some trouble in paradise.

I did my best to drown that part of me as Serena replied, "Pretty much. I mean, when we first travelled through Kalos together, I got to spend as much time as I wanted with him…"

"But that was because you hadn't confessed to him yet," I pointed out cautiously.

Serena nodded, "I know, but still…nowadays one of us has something an interview to go to, or the other has a battle or a performance, and we don't really get too much time to ourselves, what with all the fans…"

"Must be tough, being such a star. I couldn't imagine having that many eyes on me 24/7," I sighed.

"Be careful not to jinx yourself, Shauna," Serena teased jokingly, "If you beat me and become Kalos Queen, this would be your life!"

I could only laugh in response. I couldn't even imagine having tons of people follow me around all day.

A woeful look reappeared on Serena's face, "I just wish Ash wasn't so stressed out. Lately, he's been really tense…I don't like him being like this."

"Stressed?" I pondered. "You are talking about Ash _Ketchum_, right?"

We turned a corner and spotted _Dressing Room A_ up ahead as Serena continued, "I know, it's so unlike him…maybe it's because he hasn't had a challenger in months. He misses battling, just like I would miss performing."

After passing _Dressing Room B_, I questioned, "I know he loves battling, but is there really no other possible he could be stressed? Maybe the fame and the attention are getting to him, too?"

"I doubt it," Serena responded. "Ash has been in some fairly incredible situations during his travels. From what he would tell me, cameras and people were things he'd gotten used to after being confronted with so many obstacles. He's been in countless televised matches, not to mention raucous Gym Battles and even battles with Champions."

I nodded, suddenly more interested in Ash's past. I knew he was a great battler, but I had no idea he had such an illustrious history.

"But…there _might _be another reason he's so stressed right now."

I looked up at Serena as we strolled past _Dressing Room C_, spotting a delicate smirk on her face; a happy smirk, not a sad one.

"Why would that be?" I asked curiously.

She shook her head with a chuckle and muttered, "I told that idiot I didn't want anything…"

"I don't…" I paused, stunned by a girl walking on the other side of the hall, absolutely covered in something. I got a little wave from her as she strutted by, indistinguishable because of whatever was covering her face. It was sweet, whatever it was – I could tell that much from the scent that had wafted all the way over here. And was that…an Oran berry sitting on her head?

"That's why Antonio was here earlier, wasn't it? Damn it, Ash…"

"Serena…Serena, why is Ash stressed?" I blurted rudely, my impatience finally getting the better of me.

"It's my birthday today."

We stopped, apparently having reached our destination: _Dressing Room E_. The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear a gentle whimper coming from the other side. Serena's smile disappeared and she quickly adopted a desperate tone, "Ash?" She flung the door open, and what we saw could only be described with one word; shocking.

Ash sat against the desk at the far side of room with his face buried in his palms, half-covered in something and sobbing quietly to himself. Serena rushed to him immediately in an attempt to aid him, kneeling next to him and asking him what was wrong. I stayed right where I was, doing my absolute best to take in the situation. It was like a crime scene. I suddenly recognised a scent; a new scent I'd only just found. I looked around and it didn't take me long to spot it…

The cake.

A huge, four-tier white cake stood in the corner of the dressing room…or rather, the splattered remains of it. Oran berries were scattered everywhere and it was clear that this hadn't happened accidentally. Bits of cake had flown all over the place, landing on the mirror, on the walls, on the chairs, and all over Ash.

I turned to question Ash about what had happened to the cake, but in a heartbeat he was brushing past me, not bothering to acknowledge my presence. I was positive that I had seen tears as he past me.

Serena ran out into the hallway and yelled, "Why won't you tell me?"

After distancing himself a fair way away, he turned back and sniffled, "I'm sorry…it wasn't my fault…she just…I didn't…I'm sorry…" He couldn't stand to talk anymore. He spun back around and sprinted away, out of sight within seconds.

Serena went to go after him, but I grabbed her wrist. She looked back angrily and growled, "Let go of me, Shauna."  
I shook my head, "I won't. He needs space right now, Serena. Give him time and he'll be…"

She retracted her hand from my grasp and snarled, "He doesn't need _time_, he needs _support_! You just want to be the one to give him that support, don't you?"

I instinctively took a step back. She took two steps forward. There was no stopping her now.

"I…" I couldn't even form words. I was defenceless to her incoming onslaught.

"That's right! I know why you're here! I know you still want Ash!" Serena screamed. I didn't bother arguing back.  
"You want to get between me and Ash because you think there's some little ray of hope for you, don't you? Well, guess what, Shauna? There isn't! That guy is the love of my life, the whole reason I get up everyday. Everything I do, I do for _him_, and _no one_ will ever get between me and Ash! Not you, not some fan girl, no one!"

I sniffed, unable to stop the tears rolling down my face. I felt so ashamed.

"I gave you chances! Time after time, I let you be close to him, because we're friends! I even let you kiss him back on Route 12! And, after _all _that, you want to stop me from going to his aid? Some friend you are!"

I flinched at that last part. What was she saying?

"Look, I just…" I began, but was instantly cut off by an enraged Serena.

"No. No, you don't get to talk right now," she sighed tiredly, obviously just as distraught as Ash. "Look…I've probably just said some things I'll regret saying later, and I hope you realise I've said those things in anger, but I need to go support my boyfriend right now. We'll discuss this later."

I nodded slowly. She took one final look at me before turning and chasing after Ash.

"Serena?" I yelled out cautiously. She stopped.

"I'm sorry."

She stayed still.

"I'm sorry, too. You don't deserve that apology yet, but you're getting it now."

A small smile crept its way onto my face. We were going to be okay.

I watched as she ran off, searching for Ash with all her might. I, on the other hand, turned around and ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction. She couldn't have gotten too far in that amount of time.

I caught up to her just after _Dressing Room B_, following the white footsteps she'd left behind. She was still covered in what I could now guess was cake, and she even had the audacity to snack on the Oran berry that was resting on her head.

"Hey!" I shouted out, gathering the attention of a few stage assistants, or at least the ones that weren't looking at the girl in cake. The girl turned around, displaying a bright, vibrant grin. From this close, I could barely make out streaks of blue that ran through her cake-drenched hair.

"Fancy meeting you here, Shauna," the girl smirked.

I stopped, perplexed. "How do you know my name?"

She approached me, brushing bits of cake from her face to the floor. Her face slowly became more and more recognisable, until she stood in front of me with a face clear as day.

I gasped, "Dawn?"

"The one and only!" she winked confidently.

"Why are you…?"

"Covered in cake? A bit of a mishap, I'm afraid."

"You were in Ash's dressing room, weren't you? What happened in there?"

"Now, now. A lady never kisses and tells…" Dawn tutted.

"That's a _gentleman_…" I corrected, straying off course momentarily. "More importantly, why were you in Ash's dressing room?!"  
Dawn giggled, a wild gleam in her eye. It sent a shiver down my spine.

"I told you why I came here, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but I don't see what…" I stopped. "What did you do to him?"

"To _who_, my dear Shauna?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Dawn. What did you do to _Ash_?"

Dawn laughed, "What I had to, silly!"

"And what did you _have to _do?"

Dawn's laughter disappeared. Her gaze switched to an intense stare.

"I had to take back what's mine."


	11. Chapter 11

**In Serena's POV**

I ran out into the clothing district, panting breathlessly. My Pokémon and I had already covered half the entirety of South Lumiose City, to no avail. I had personally checked all of the spots Ash and I had ever been; Café Soleli, the Pokémon Centre, even some old store full of evolution stones we once visited.  
I met up with the last of my partners, Braixen, in the Pokémon Centre, exhausted. Apparently none of us had even caught a glimpse of him.  
_  
"It's times like these that I wish I had a Flying-type…" _I muttered angrily to myself.

I returned my Pokémon to their Pokéballs and gave them a quick moment's rest in the tender care of Nurse Joy. I sat down, also giving myself a breather. My face felt baggy with dried tears and sweat laying in defeat. People had recognised me immediately during my chase, but I refused to allow them any of my time. Ash was what was important right now.

I almost felt like sobbing. Just having a nice sob, right here in the lounge bay of the Pokémon Centre. The look Ash gave me before he ran out…it was a look of pure despair.

_"__Get up, Serena," _I told myself. _"Now is not the time for crying." _

"My subconscious is stronger than me…" I sighed aloud. I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and put that aside, instantly refocusing on listing where I _hadn't _looked.

I took my Pokémon back from Nurse Joy graciously and started the quick walk to Professor Sycamore's lab. Maybe he had gone there?

As I approached Sycamore's laboratory, I noticed a group of people swarming towards me. I grabbed Braixen's Pokéball, ready to act in case they decided to get in my way. I was _not _in the mood for fans right now.

Strangely enough, they ran straight past me. Actually, they completely ignored me; something that hadn't happened since I became Kalos Queen. Had I been given enough time, I probably would've enjoyed the moment of solitude, but instead I overheard a conversation between two of the crowd members that unnerved me:

"…you don't think he's not gonna jump, do you?"

"I have no idea. My friend that saw him said he was just seen at the top without a guide or security. Apparently he took his Pikachu and his other Pokémon with him…"

I sprinted after the couple I'd overheard and grabbed them, pulling them aside from the flow of the crowd.

"What are you talking about? Who is with that Pikachu?" I pushed impatiently.

The girl looked at me and gasped, "Hey, you're Seren…"

"Sorry, but I haven't got time for introductions. _Who_ is with that Pikachu? Tell me!" I repeated, practically screaming at their faces now.

The guy understood my desperate plea and answered me calmly, "It's him. He's on the top level of Lumiose Tower. Why is he up there?"

I had already spun on the spot and headed straight for Lumiose Tower, not bothering to give the couple an answer…mostly because I didn't have one to give them. Now that I knew where to go, I actually had some time to think about what had happened.

Why _did_ Ash react the way he did? I noticed the cake in the corner of my eye as I walked into our dressing room, and I knew something had gone wrong with it, but surely Ash wouldn't cry over a cake…

As a clear path towards Lumiose Tower began to form, I felt the card brush around in my skirt pocket. While I was comforting Ash and trying to get an explanation out of him, I noticed the card he'd prepared laying in a dishevelled mess, covered in cake. I haven't had any time to read it yet, as I've been a bit preoccupied…but as soon as I find him and talk to him, I'll read it with him. He'd like that, I'm sure.

I arrived in front of Lumiose Tower, where several people had also spotted Ash and had surrounded the base of the tower. The entrances to the tower were blocked off with construction barriers, as the interior was supposedly being renovated. I realised that I wasn't going to be able to get to Ash the easy way, but there was still a way. I looked up and sure enough I spotted Talonflame circling the tower protectively above the masses. It seemed he was supposed to be on guard duty for Ash, at least that's what I assumed…but he was barely gliding now. He looked tired.

I called out to Talonflame with all the breath I had left in my lungs, "Talonflame! Down here!"

He spotted me almost immediately, but didn't swoop down as quickly. He took a glance towards the tower before deciding to come down to me. I took a step back and allowed him room to land as the eyes of everyone else had followed him.

"Talonflame, is Ash up there?" I asked frantically.

He nodded slowly.

"Please, can you get me up to him?"

He shook his head.

I paused, not expecting to be denied. "What do you mean, _no_?"

Talonflame just shook his head again and pointed to the top of the tower. I think he was trying to tell me that Ash didn't want me up there.

I sighed. If Ash didn't want me to see him like this, there wasn't much I could do at this point. Talonflame was my only hope.

"At least…at least tell me he's alright? Please, just let me know that much…" I begged, tears beginning to reform in my eyes.

Talonflame gave me a look of concern before nodding slowly. He seemed to be thinking about something.

"Well, as long as he's not hurt or anything…but even so, I still should be up there to support him. He's been there for everything; every challenge I've ever faced, every obstacle I've ever overcome, he's been there to help me through it."

While talking to Talonflame, I'd tried to be courteous with how loud I was, but I'd finally decided that it didn't matter anymore. I was going to be as loud as I wanted, and I didn't care who heard me.

"Now that he's going through something, I need to be there for _him_! Not because I'm supposed to be, or because that's what a girlfriend should do, but because…"

Talonflame was giving me his undivided attention, along with everyone within a twenty metre radius. But that didn't discern me; if I was ever going to publicly admit it, it was going to be now.

"…I love him! He's mine, now and forever, and he always will be!" I cried with all my might.

Unable to prevent the tears from flowing down my cheeks, I collapsed to the ground in anguish. I had given all I had left. For anyone else, I would've preserved myself, safeguarded my pride, but for Ash…

"I'll give him everything I've got…" I finished aloud. I rose to my feet one last time and stretched out my hand towards Ash's hiding place, bellowing, "You hear me, Ash? I'll give you everything I've got! I refuse to give up! I'll _never_ give up until the end!"

I fell to my knees, panting heavily. I really _was _out of breath, but that didn't stop me from confessing my love for Ash to the entirety of Lumiose City. Hell, I would've done it in front of all of Kalos, if I had to. Now all I could do was sit and wait. Ash would come down in his own time, but I wasn't going to move for anyone until he did.

Talonflame scuttled next to me and sat down. He stared deeply into my eyes, possibly rummaging through my soul with his intense gaze. I heard a tiny voice in my head trying to speak, but I couldn't quite make it out. I focused on Talonflame's eyes and listened closely, wondering if I had just imagined it.

_"__You love him?" _

I gasped, realising that it was Talonflame trying to talk to me. He wasn't speaking from his mouth, though…it was almost as if I could hear his thoughts.

I nodded, waiting for a response.

_"__I thought as much. I wasn't quite sure, but now I'm certain," _Talonflame murmured.

"Can I…hear your thoughts?" I asked, still beyond surprised by this realisation.

Talonflame nodded, _"Yeah, it's a mutual connection thing that forms over time with Pokémon. If I decide I can trust you, I'll try and talk to you. If you trust me, you'll hear me. So, thanks for trusting me, I guess." _

I smirked, "No problem. Thanks for trusting me, too. So does that mean you can talk to Ash, too?"

_"__That's right. He and I began communicating from the moment we met. I thought he was a little wild with how easily he gave his trust away, but he's a loyal guy."_

I smiled as Talonflame continued, _"Respectful, honest, upbeat, maybe a bit dense sometimes, but overall a pleasure to be partnered with. He's a perfect fit for me…and you, too." _

"I know. Did he tell you about when we first met?"

_"__At Professor Oak's Summer Camp. He told all of us that a fair while ago, but even still, when he tells us that story, he always has a glimmer in his eyes. I think seeing you again after all that time really made him happy." _

"You think so?" I questioned hopefully.

_"__Absolutely. He cares so much about you, Serena. That's why he doesn't want you to know about the ki…" _Talonflame stopped abruptly. I got the impression that he'd let something slip that he wasn't supposed to.

"What doesn't he want me to know about?" I pleaded. "Is that why he's so distraught?"

_"__I…I can't tell you." _

No. Not now. I had Talonflame on the ropes, and I wasn't about to let him forget it.

"Why can't you tell me?"

_"__He asked me not to." _

"Ash told you not to tell me?"

_"__He _asked _me not to tell you. He trusts me not to say anything, ergo why I can't tell you." _

I paused to think for a moment to think about what Talonflame had just told me.

"So, you won't tell me because you don't want to risk breaking the trust you two have between each other?"

Talonflame nodded.

"But you want me to know what happened?"

Talonflame was silent for a few seconds before nodding again, _"I think it would be for the best if you knew. He does need consolidation right now; that's why he's with Pikachu." _

"So take me up there," I attempted. "Ash needs me right now, you said so yourself. You can't tell me why he's upset, but you can take me to him to find out for myself, right?"

Talonflame looked up to the top of Lumiose Tower, considering his options. _"I'm sure he'd appreciate seeing you go to so much effort…" _

"So…" I began, rising to my feet and gently holding Talonflame's wings, "Let's go! We've wasted too much time down here, as it is. Please, Talonflame?"

I heard Talonflame coo quietly. I had deliberately touched his wings, as I knew he enjoyed having them groomed and brushed, in an attempt to persuade him to take me up.

_"__I…I'm exhausted, Serena. I mightn't be able to fly at top speed…" _

"Please…"

My hands were quickly growing warmer the longer they rested on Talonflame's feathers. It was beginning to become irritatingly hot.

_"__My ability's kicking in, Serena – Flame Body. It heals me, but it forces my body to rise to extreme temperatures. I don't know how long a human can stay on my back without suffering severe burns. I really don't think you should…" _

I climbed onto Talonflame's back without a second thought, hugging his torso as tightly as I could. "Don't worry about me, Talonflame. I trust you."

Talonflame looked back at me with a concerned expression, one I replied to with a bright grin hiding a rapidly growing sense of pain. He seemed to appreciate my showing of mutual respect as he returned my smile and spread his glorious wings.

_"__Hold on tightly, I'll go as fast as I can," _Talonflame advised.

"Got it," I replied, tightening my grip around Talonflame's chest. He began to shuffle forward before leaping into the air and taking flight. Golden cinders sparked off of the tips of his wings as we flew, falling down towards the staring masses below.

I grimaced in pain as Talonflame's body reached a searing-hot intensity. "Argh…"

_"__Are you okay? I can get back down to the ground faster if you need to get off…" _Talonflame asked.

"No, I'm f-fine…ow. Just…get me…to Ash…" I groaned. I could feel the tips of my fingers burning. The frills on my wristbands had caught fire momentarily, but our speed had extinguished the flames immediately. I knew I wasn't going to last much longer, but for Ash, I'd deal with it.

Talonflame launched forward with a burst of speed, covering almost half the tower in a matter of seconds. We managed to reach the top about ten seconds later, tumbling onto the base of the top floor with a crash.

Talonflame rested in a heap near me, breathing heavily. I crawled to him on my knees and elbows, as my hands had been burned pretty badly. I reached him and collapsed next to his exhausted body.

_"__I'm…sorry. I burned you…didn't I?" _Talonflame apologised.

"Thank you, Talonflame."

He opened his eyes a fraction and lifted his head to see my appreciative smile staring back at him. _"Why…?" _

"Without you, I never would've made it to Ash. You were tired, yet you still carried me. Thank you."

I took his head in my hands and gently kissed his beak, which had remained cool to the touch due to the wind that passed us by. Talonflame smiled and slumped over, finally allowing himself to heal properly.

I heard two sets footsteps approaching quickly; one from a Pokémon, one from a human. I watched as Ash's shadow fell over my weakened, scorched body and Pikachu's tail came into view. A fragile smirk spread across my face as he cried, "Serena! You've been burned really badly…"

"Really?" I groaned sarcastically. "Hadn't noticed…"

Ash scoffed as he laid my head on his lap, "Shut up. You shouldn't joke at a time like this."

He threw a Pokéball into the air and ripped his left sleeve off as Greninja appeared. "Would you mind dampening this and making some ice blocks for Serena? She's been badly burned."

Greninja agreed, quickly spraying Ash's sleeve with a stream of cold water. He then sat next to us and began forming blocks of ice with Ice Beam, seeming curiously content with such a minute task.

"Thanks, Greninja…" I whimpered gratefully. Greninja nodded with a small smile, accepting my gratitude like a true ninja would.  
Ash placed a block of ice inside the sleeve and folded it over a few times while feeling my forehead, "Crap, you're really hot…"

"You're not…so bad yourself…" I joked as Ash delicately pressed the sleeve against my forehead. Ash laughed for a moment before stopping himself suddenly, as if he'd forgotten he was supposed to be upset.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye Greninja handing Ash something round.

"What's that?" I asked.

"It's just an Oran berry. Greninja had been holding onto it, so it's frosty. He thought it would be a good idea for you to eat something cold," Ash answered.

"Oh. Okay. Thank you," I smiled as Ash handed me the berry. He was right; it was pleasantly chilled. I looked up into his eyes and spotted an expression of worry on his face. I felt an odd sense of déjà vu…

"Hey, Ash?" I whispered.

"Yeah?" he replied with a low tone of voice.

"Does this seem…familiar?"

Ash looked over me, taking note of the ice pack and Oran berry before laughing heartily, "Yeah, I remember."

I smiled, finally being able to enjoy seeing him with a grin on his face again, "Except I was where you are, and you were the one who was burning up, right?"

"That's right," Ash acknowledged, "I was watching you feed Braixen…well, back then she was a Fennekin."

"What was I feeding her, again?" I questioned, knowing fully well what I was feeding Fennekin at the time.

"A twig, I'm pretty sure."

I grinned, "That's right. Then you got shocked by Bonnie's Dedenne, didn't you?"

Ash groaned, "Yeah, that sucked. It felt _just _like Pikachu's Thunderbolt."

"That's what you get for being a perv."

"I wasn't being a perv! I was just…admiring you from afar."

I smirked, "It's okay; I still love you, even if you are a perv."

I cupped his cheek and pulled him down towards me, planting a delicate kiss on him. We held it for a fair amount of time before a massive spout of water splashed against our faces, breaking our kiss and knocking us over. We sat up on our knees, absolutely drenched, and found Greninja snickering in front of us.

"Apparently _he _remembers, too…" Ash noted.

"It seems so," I replied.

We looked at each other and burst into laughter. I took the opportunity to slide over to Ash, closing the gap between us. My temperature had dropped dramatically, mostly thanks to the splash of cold water we'd just received. I took his hands and looked him deep in the eyes, something I hadn't been able to do very often lately.

"Ash…" I began. Immediately a sombre face reappeared in place of my Ash.

"Serena…you don't understand."

"Then help me to. I want to help, but to do that, I need to know what happened."

Ash gave me a desperate look, but I could tell he knew what he had to do. He placed the makeshift ice pack on the ground next to him and sighed, "Okay, I'll…I'll start from the beginning, I guess…"

I sat up and gave him my undivided attention.

"You saw Antonio here before, right?" Ash asked. I nodded.

"Well, he was here to deliver a cake I'd asked him to make a while ago for your birthday…oh, happy birthday, by the way," he added.

"Thanks, Ash," I grinned, still overjoyed that he'd remembered, and even more so now that I knew how hard he worked to make me happy this year.

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, I moved the cake to our dressing room and started writing a card to go with it when…an old _friend _surprised me." Ash flinched as he said the word _friend_.

"What's his name?" I asked, curious as to which of Ash's many old friends had surprised him.

"It's…her name's Dawn."

"Oh." I didn't know why, but I felt a stabbing feeling in my chest when Ash said it was a female friend.

"I can stop now, if you want?" he asked, probably hearing the uncertainty in my voice.

"No," I replied with a blank expression. "Keep going. I want to help."

"Okay…" Ash gave me one more look before continuing, "She said she'd come from Sinnoh to visit me, and heard that I was going to be at the Lumiose Showcase. At first, I was really happy to see her – after all, I'd spent about a year travelling with her…but then she started getting…closer."

I gulped, my mind beginning to swirl around theories about what had happened. I decided to ignore them all and focus on Ash, trusting him and believing him fully.

"She pushed me down into a chair and started saying things like '_be my Champion' _and stuff like that…and then she tried to kiss me."

I tried to hide my sobbing, but I couldn't help but sniffle. Ash immediately embraced me and caressed my head, holding me close.

"Nothing happened, Serena, I swear. I _promise _you, I stopped her," Ash explained. I burrowed deeper into Ash's chest allowed myself to cry. All the despair, all the pain, all the worry that I'd felt up to this point was released in each tear I shed.

"Then…what happened?" I asked, my speech muffled by Ash's jacket.

"I tried to push her off me, but she grabbed hold of my jacket and dragged me along with her. We stumbled and she eventually fell over, pulling us both into the cake. It splattered everywhere, covering both of us and practically wrecking the room. After that, she got up and left the room. That's all that happened, I swear."

I sat up and stared at Ash with tear-stained eyes, "I believe you, Ash."

A look of relief appeared across Ash's face. He seemed to have just had a massive weight lifted from his shoulders…but I still had questions.

"Is that all?" I asked calmly.

Ash's eyebrows rose, "I'm sorry?"

I shook my head, "I'm sure it's nothing, but…even though that was obviously a huge thing that happened to you, I'm not quite sure an old friend trying to kiss you and the pair of you accidentally destroying a cake would cause you to become as…_distraught_ as you were."

Ash's eyes darted to the side as he replied nervously, "Oh…well, honestly…there _was _another present…"

My eyes lit up excitedly, "Really? What was it?"

"Well, you know how I said I'd started writing you a card? The gift goes along with that, but I can't give the gift until you read the card…"

"Actually…" I interrupted, revealing a slightly messy card from my skirt pocket.

Ash gasped, "How did you…?"

"I grabbed it as you ran out of our dressing room, but I never got a chance to read it," I explained.

Ash stood up and helped me to my feet, grinning broadly, "Perfect! I can still give you the last gift!"

"Is it a good one?" I asked cheekily.

"You'll have to read the card," Ash replied slyly. He stood behind me and opened the card, continuing, "Uh…bear in mind that I never finished the card…"

I nodded and began to read the card aloud:

"_To my darling Serena,_

_To the world, you might be just one person._

_To one person, you might just be the world._

_I love you with all my heart,_

_And I want you to know, this birthday is only the start._

_Happy birthday, Serena!_"

I blushed madly and grinned, "Ash, this is _so _sweet of you! You really didn't have to go to all this trouble just for my 16th birthday…"

"The present's not over yet…" I heard Ash say from behind me. I turned around slowly and gasped when I saw Ash's present.

Ash stood behind me…well, technically he wasn't _standing_…he was kneeling.

He took my hand and looked straight into my eyes.  
"Serena Mayuki Reine…" Ash spoke confidently, even remembering my middle name. All I could do was stand in shock and awe as he continued, "…ever since I met you back in Kanto, I knew there was something special about you. When we met again back in Santalune City, I felt a strange immediate connection to you, even though I didn't recognise you at the time. Since then, we've been through so much; we've won championships together, experienced new cultures and people together and grown together as Trainers, Performers, and most importantly, people. I've had the honour of spending the last two years by your side, and I've never been more sure of any decision in my life than of the one I'm about to make."  
I watched as Ash dug around in one of the interior pockets of his jacket until he brandished a small black box. I could feel another wave of tears forming, but there was a difference this time; they were tears of joy.

"I can honestly admit to anyone and everyone in the entire world that I love you with all my heart and soul, and, if you'll allow it, I'd like to spend the rest of my life by your side. So, Serena…" He momentarily let go of my hand and opened the box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring with a huge, sparkling diamond in the centre. I refused to stop crying as what was happening was finally sinking in.

"…will you marry me? I-I mean, if you want…"

I sniffled and nodded enthusiastically, laughing cheerfully, "Of course I want to marry you, you dense moron!"

Ash grinned wildly as he took my hand and slid the ring onto my ring finger. He looked up, an expression of pure happiness on his face, before pausing momentarily. He rose to his feet and brought me into a hug, whispering into my ear, "I should probably mention we can't actually marry for another two years, legally…so that's more of a promise than anything else…sorry…"

I shook my head and wiped the tears from my eyes, "I don't care. That just means we'll have two extra years to plan the wedding!"

Ash laughed and pulled me close, kissing me passionately like never before. It felt like there was no holding back anymore, no uncertainty. I returned his kiss wholeheartedly, feeling overwhelmed by my bright new future. Nothing else mattered anymore, now that I knew Ash was mine forever, and that I was his forever.


End file.
